Practice on CW issues since entry into force of the Convention

10 Practice on CW issues since entry into force of the Convention 

Extract of RC-2/S/1 containing a Note by the Technical Secretariat dated 31 March 2008 and entitled Review of the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention since the First Review Conferenee  

88 Initial declarations under Article III remain the very first requirement to eliminating chemical weapons stockpiles and former CWPFs. Their timely and accurate submission is an important condition for the functioning of the Convention s verification system. Since the First Review Conference, one additional State Party, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, has declared the possession of chemical weapons and of former CWPFs. 

89 Completing the destruction of chemical weapons by the established deadlines constitutes a solemn legal obligation for the possessor States Parties. Significant progress towards the achievement of this key objective has been made by the States Parties since the First Review Conference. 

90 Major steps have been taken towards eliminating CWPFs. The last remaining former CWPFs are currently undergoing conversion, one is temporarily used for chemical weapons destruction and will be destroyed thereafter. The verification measures applied by the OPCW are tailored to ensure that these production capacities are either rendered for peaceful purposes or destroyed in accordance with the Convention s requirements. All converted facilities remain under systematic verification. An issue that needs to be addressed is the scope of the verification measures to be applied past the 10-year period after former CWPFs have been certified by the OPCW as converted. 

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