In compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Republic of Iraq has informed the OPCW that it has established the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate, which will assume the functions of its National Authority.
The announcement came on 12 February 2009, the same day that the CWC entered into force for Iraq, officially making it the 186th State Party to the Convention. As of today, 178 of these States Parties have established or designated National Authorities.
A National Authority is crucial to ensuring the effective implementation of the CWC within each State Party’s national jurisdiction. Article VII, paragraph 4 of the Convention states: “In order to fulfil its obligations under this 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. Each State Party shall notify the Organization of its National Authority at the time that this Convention enters into force for it.”
The National Authority has the responsibility of implementing the provisions of CWC at the national level. To meet its basic obligations, each State Party must be able to submit all 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 also 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.
OPCW News 05/2009