The Council received a report from the Director-General on the status of financial contributions by Member States to the OPCW as of 1 September 1997. This report revealed that a significant number of States Parties had yet to pay their assessments. Having noted the report, and the fact that the deadline for payment of assessed contributions had long since passed, the Council urged those States Parties whose assessed contributions were still outstanding, in whole or in part, to meet their financial obligations forthwith. Some delays in payment were related to concern about the way in which the financial contributions required of each State Party had been calculated at the First Session of the CSP. The Executive Council discussed the matter at length and although different views on the matter were expressed and still exist, the Council agreed that, on a provisional basis for the 1997 budget pending any decision of the Second Session of the CSP, contributions should be calculated on the basis of a ceiling rate of 25% and a floor rate of 0.01%. Such an approach would result in a situation where no one State would pay more than 25% of the 1997 Budget, while the least developed countries would pay 0.01%. The Council further agreed that this means of calculation should be retroactively applied, but that no State Party should receive an increase in its assessed contribution for 1997. It is anticipated that this provisional agreement will result in an immediate easing of the cash-flow crisis facing the OPCW.
A report on the status of implementation of the Convention submitted to the Council by the Director-General noted that to date, approximately 30% of initial declarations were still outstanding, while some others which have been received were incomplete. The Director-General explained that, in an effort to increase the level of compliance in this regard, a simplified declaration form had been sent to all States Parties which had not yet submitted their declarations and that this had stimulated a number of responses. He stated that efforts to encourage and support States Parties in their preparation of overdue initial declarations would continue. Reflecting the level of concern at the overall situation, the Council discussed the problem at length and, reiterating its concern, urged those States Parties which had not yet done so to fulfill their obligations under the Convention without further delay. Most of the Member States which replied to the Director-General’s request for approval to release information of a general nature about declarations and inspections to non-Member States and to the media agreed to the release of the information relating to their own declarations and inspections. Thus, of a total of 49 States Parties which had submitted their initial declarations by 28 July 1997, only five did not consent to releasing this limited information. Seven of the 49 States (Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and United Kingdom) declared old and/or abandoned chemical weapons on their territory under Part IV(B) of the Verification Annex, while three States declared possession of chemical weapons under Article IV of the Convention. All but 12 States declared under Article VI, that is, activities not prohibited under the Convention. Seven States Parties declared, pursuant to Article V, possession of existing or former chemical weapons production facilities, five of which consented to the release of this information. (China, France, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) Over the period 1 June – 28 July, the OPCW carried out inspections in the following countries: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States as well as three States which did not permit the release of information pertaining to inspections carried out in their countries.
The Director-General’s report on the status of implementation to the Council at this session also included information on the inspections conducted so far by the OPCW. During the month of August, inspections had focused on declared chemical weapons production facilities. Since the start of verification activities in June, a total of 66 inspections had been launched, including on-going and permanent monitoring at two chemical weapons destruction facilities. While the majority of these inspections have been in chemical weapons-related facilities, 11 inspections have been conducted at facilities which produce small quantities of highly toxic chemicals for protective, medical, pharmaceutical or other peaceful purposes. (“Schedule 1 facilities”) It is anticipated that all initial inspections of chemical weapons-related and Schedule 1 facilities will be conducted within 180 days of entry into force.
On the issue of implementation, the Council also received a Report by the Director-General dealing with Article X of the Convention, related to assistance and protection against chemical weapons, reminding States Parties of their obligation to elect one or more of three possible measures set out in the Convention to provide assistance and protection against chemical weapons to other States Parties through the Organisation. The Director-General also presented a report to the Council on the “Status of United Nations Laissez-Passer and of Two-Year Multiple-Entry Visas”. Having noted the contents of this report, the Council recommended that all States Parties which had not yet done so should advise the Secretariat as soon as possible of their visa requirements for inspectors and inspection assistants bearing a United National laissez-passer. The Council agreed on a consultative mechanism to enable approved validated spectra to be placed on the OPCW Central Analytical Database, and proposed that this mechanism should be established by the Second Session of the CSP.
The Council received a report on a request by a State Party for permission to use a former chemical weapons production facility for a purpose not prohibited by the Convention. Although the facility was once used for chemical weapons production, it has now been modified, its critical components having been removed and destroyed. The Council also received draft agreements for two new transitional verification arrangements for chemical weapons destruction facilities. It decided to consider all of these issues at its next Session. Dealing with administrative matters, the Council considered the “Draft Agreement concerning the Relationship between the United Nations and the OPCW” and requested the Secretariat to prepare a simplified version. The Council was informed about the on-going work on the OPCW building. The Council discussed a revised OPCW logo design and recommended that the CSP adopt it at its Second Session on the understanding that if no objections are received from Member States by 19 September 1997, the Secretariat will start to use the revised logo in its documentation prior to the formal decision by the CSP. The Council recommended dates for the regular sessions of the CSP in the period 1999-2005 for consideration of the second CSP in December and drew up a provisional agenda for the Second Session.
The Council is scheduled to meet again for its Fifth Session from 29 September – 3 October 1997.
PR12/1997