Verification Under The Chemical Weapons Convention

... As Director-General of the OPCW, I believe that a broad based informed discussion on these issues is desirable and will contribute to the success of the Convention. It is for this reason that I encouraged the preparation of "Verification Practice under the Chemical Weapons Convention: A Commentary I have strongly supported the efforts of the authors, Dr R Trapp and Dr W Krutzsch, both of whom have been intimately involved in the negotiations on and the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The result of their efforts is this book. This is not a book for easy reading over a weekend. The issues addressed are, more often than not, hardly exciting. But this is a much needed publication which, I hope, will be the first in the series of in-depth studies of the CWC verification regime and the practical work of the OPCW in this critically important area. As the authors state in their introduction, the substance of this volume is their sole responsibility. Some of their comments, conclusions or suggestions, may find not only supporters but opponents as well, which of course is only natural. On the whole, however, I believe that, whatever their views on the issues raised, all readers will share my view that this is a very useful and timely study. From the Foreword by Josi M Bustani, Director-General, OPCW This Commentary on the verification provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention builds on a previous publication by the same authors - "A Commentary on the Chemical Weapons Convention (Kluwer 1994). It focuses on the verification regime established under the Convention and analyses the results of the preparatory phase as well as the practical experience gathered bythe OPCW since the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997. The book

This Commentary on the verification provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention builds on a previous publication by the same authors - A Commentary on the Chemical Weapons Convention (Kluwer 1994). It focuses on the verification regime established under the Convention and analyses the results of the preparatory phase as well as the practical experience gathered by the OPCW since the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997. The book follows the methodological approach taken in the earlier publication - a paragraph by paragraph discussion of the text. It discusses those provisions which are relevant for the areas of verification where the OPCW has actually conducted inspections and thus acquired practical experience (i.e. routine inspections of chemical weapons and related facilities, and facilities related to the chemicals listed under Schedule 1 and 2). The book is intended to stimulate and enrich the debate on a number of practical as well as legal issues that have emerged during the practical implementation. It will be of interest to National Authorities and to diplomats following the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, but also to practitioners in the chemical industry and related trade associations, international lawyers and political scientists - whether specialists or generalists, and the interested public.

The use of chemical weapons may have started with World War I, but as a result of the armed conflicts in the Middle East the monitoring of chemical production has gained an unprecedented immediacy. This volume is the first comprehensive analysis of on-site test inspections conducted in the chemical industry. These inspections helped to design and test the verification mechanisms for future international Chemical Weapons Conventions. The author analyzes these inspections to predict future inspection methods. He also describes problems encountered and proposes improvements to increase the efficiency of the verification system.

This publication has been issued in implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme as a handy, convenient and attractive reference tool containing the report of the Secretary-General on verification in all its aspects, including the role of the UN in the field of verification. It also contains additional material related to the publication of the report. The publication continues the Disarmament Study Series and should serve as a valuable addition to the reference section of public and university libraries, permanent missions, research institutes and specialized non-governmental organizations.

Describes the state of chemical weapons negotiations, practical industrial-monitoring experiments and different monitoring techniques. The technical possibilities of monitoring the chemical industry under a future Chemical Weapons Convention are examined.