CWC Members Meet to Review Progress, Goals
With the threat of chemical weapons grabbing the public spotlight,
delegates from around the world have gathered for the first review
conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered
into force in 1997 and requires member states to destroy their chemical
weapons.
Delegates gathered April 28 in The Hague to assess the implementation
of the treaty and discuss challenges to its goal of preventing chemical
warfare. The provisional agenda called for discussing “the
role of the Chemical Weapons Convention in enhancing international
peace and security.” Delegates are expected to discuss a range
of issues, including measures to bring more countries under the
treaty, national implementation of measures related to the treaty,
protection against chemical weapons, and the functioning of the
body that implements the treaty—the Organization for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). (See
ACT, April 2003.)
The United States expressed its preference for a thematic approach
to reviewing the treaty, rather than going through the treaty article
by article. An OPCW spokesperson said in April that a thematic approach
is likely at the conference, which is chaired by Algerian Ambassador
Noureddine Djoudi.
The United States wants to highlight the issue of national implementation
measures at the conference, U.S. Ambassador Eric Javits said in
a March 18 speech. Article VII of the CWC requires states to take
action to implement the treaty, such as enacting legislation to
prohibit individuals or groups from activities unlawful under the
treaty and ensuring penalties for such behavior. Javits said a number
of states have failed to adopt national measures to implement the
CWC, citing data from the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat. The
United States circulated a working group paper calling for “concrete,
meaningful steps” to reduce problems with national implementation,
Javits said.
Javits added that the United States would like the conference to
discuss conducting a “thorough assessment” of verification
methods the OPCW uses to ensure compliance with the treaty; he expressed
interest in improving “efficiency and cost effectiveness.”
The OPCW conducts inspections at military and commercial sites related
to the treaty.
In addition to the formal review conference, the OPCW is hosting
an open forum for diplomats and experts to discuss challenges to
the CWC. Issues on the forum’s agenda include efforts to destroy
chemical weapons, implement national legislation to prosecute substate
actors who violate the treaty, and how the chemical industry views
the verification regime.
Experts are also set to discuss chemical incapacitants—chemicals
designed to be less than lethal but which could completely incapacitate
a person. (See
ACT, April 2003.) It is unclear whether that issue will
arise in the formal review conference.
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