Quito, Ecuador, 6–8 May 2008
The Government of Ecuador and the OPCW jointly hosted the Ninth Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Trade and Integration in Quito from 6 to 8 May 2008. The meeting attracted 21 participants from 17 States Parties (Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and Trinidad and Tobago), along with the National Authority of Ecuador.
Representatives of National Authorities conferred with each other and with Secretariat personnel on the additional steps each State Party should take to implement its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The programme included:
- overview of the status of implementation of the Convention and the Second Review Conference;
- review of the requirements of Article VII and its status of implementation;
- new developments regarding the implementation of Article VI;
- the Verification Information System (VIS) and submission of Article VI declarations in electronic form;
- sharing national experiences and reviewing existing methods to collect data on the import and export of scheduled chemicals;
- discussion and sharing of experiences in receiving chemical industry inspections and ways to improve their effectiveness and efficiency; and
- bilateral meetings with Secretariat staff and resource persons.
Participants made presentations on the following topics:
- the status of implementation of the Convention by their State Party, including the designation or establishment of a National Authority and national implementing legislation or administrative measures;
- problems encountered in these areas and support required to address them;
- status of implementing legislation and support required to finalise drafts;
- status of negotiations on privileges and immunities agreements between their State Party and the OPCW;
- current practices in identifying activities declarable under Article VI;
- current practices in gathering data on the import and export of scheduled chemicals; and
- experiences in receiving sequential inspections under Article VI.
Participating National Authorities delivered presentations on national implementation of the CWC focusing on national legal frameworks and declarations systems. They also held bilateral meetings with OPCW experts to discuss legal issues and matters relating to declarations, industry and international cooperation.