In compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United Republic of Tanzania has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that its interim National Authority has been established and its Chair designated.
The Interim National Authority will take up the responsibility of implementing the obligations of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at the national level until the formal process of forming a National Authority and completing national legislation is done by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The decision to establish an interim National Authority is a result of the National Action Plan, which was adopted during the training workshop on the implementation of Article VII obligations of the CWC that was held in Dar es Salaam from 13 to 15 February 2006.
Article VII, paragraph 4 of the Chemical Weapons Convention states: “In order to fulfil its obligations under the Convention, each State Party shall designate or establish a National Authority to serve as the national focal point for effective liaison with the Organization and other States Parties.” As the national focal point for communication between States Parties, the national data collection point, and the facilitator of national implementation, a CWC National Authority is crucial in ensuring the Convention’s effective application within each State Party’s national jurisdiction.
To meet its basic obligations, each State Party must be able to submit all the required declarations, communicate with the OPCW, cooperate with other States Parties, facilitate OPCW inspections, respond to OPCW requests for assistance, protect the confidentiality of classified information, monitor and enforce national compliance and cooperate in the peaceful uses of chemistry. States Parties are obliged to declare and to eliminate all chemical weapons stockpiles and chemical weapons production facilities. The National Authority plays an indispensable role in all of these activities.
PR26 / 2006