Update on National Implementation

As of 19 May 2008

The following table compares the status of implementation of Article VII obligations by States Parties at the time of the adoption of the Action Plan regarding the Implementation of Article VII Obligations by the OPCW Eighth Conference of the States Parties (C-8/DEC.16, dated 24 October 2003) with the current status.

Under Article VII of the Chemical Weapons Convention each State Party, in accordance with its constitutional processes, is required to adopt the necessary measures to implement its obligations under the Convention. The importance of States Parties fulfilling their obligations under Article VII, in particular the designation or establishment of a National Authority and the adoption of legislative and administrative measures to implement the Convention, has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the Conference of the States Parties. In its last decision regarding the implementation of Article VII obligations (C-12/DEC.9, dated 9 November 2007) the Conference of the States Parties urged States Parties that have yet to designate or establish a National Authority and to take the necessary steps to enact legislation, and/or to adopt administrative measures to implement the Convention to notify the OPCW of such designation or establishment and to inform the OPCW of the steps taken in these matters.

Since the last update (23 January 2008) the following Article VII(5) submissions have been received:

• Bhutan submitted the text of existing legislative provisions relevant for the implementation of the Convention. (February 2008)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina informed the Secretariat of the recent adoption of implementing regulations, which support its already comprehensive implementing legislation. (February 2008)
• The Cook Islands made its first Article VII(5) submission by informing the Secretariat that its implementing legislation had entered into force and subsequently by submitting the text of the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act. Its implementing legislation is comprehensive. (January and February 2008)
• Côte d’Ivoire submitted a copy of Article 16 of the Criminal Code providing for the extraterritorial application of its penal legislation. (May 2008)
• Indonesia informed the Secretariat of the adoption of its implementing legislation, “The Law on the Use of Chemicals and the Prohibition of the Use of Chemicals as Weapons”, on 19 February 2008 and subsequently confirmed its entry into force on 10 March 2008. (February and March 2008)
• Jordan informed the Secretariat of further implementing measures it has in place. (March 2008)
• Mongolia provided the Secretariat with updates on the legislative and administrative measures adopted to implement the Convention. (In April 2008)
• Portugal informed the Secretariat of the entry into force of its implementing legislation (Law 66/2007) and confirmed its comprehensiveness. (March 2008)
• Qatar informed the Secretariat that with its Law No. 17 of 2007 on Chemical Weapons, a copy of which had already been submitted to the Secretariat, it has comprehensive implementing legislation. (January 2008)
• Sri Lanka submitted the text of its implementing legislation, the “Chemical Weapons Convention Act for Sri Lanka”. (January 2008)
• Turkey informed the Secretariat that through the implementing regulations, published in the Official Gazette of 19 December 2007, its implementing legislation had become comprehensive. (February 2008)
• Zambia made its first Article VII(5) submission by submitting the text of its implementing legislation, “The Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons Act, 2007”. (April 2008)