Assistance Response under Chemical Weapons Convention

Transcription

1 Assistance Response under Chemical Weapons Convention Presented by Mr Muhammad Kazi, Senior Coordination and Planning Officer, to the Biological Weapons Convention: Meeting of States Parties 2010 Palais des Nations, Geneva 6-10 December 2010

2 This presentation contains! Fundamental Provisions & Participation History of Chemical Weapons CBRN Threats Classification Overview of Assistance and Protection under Article X of the CWC OPCW Preparedness, Capacity-building, & Challenges Ahead

3 Steps towards chemical disarmament On 13 January 1993 the Chemical Weapons Convention was opened for signature in Paris. The signatory states approved a resolution to set up a Preparatory Commission for the future Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The inaugural session of the Preparatory Commission was held on 8 February 1993, in The Hague, the Netherlands, the seat of the future Organisation. The Preparatory Commission immediately established a Provisional Technical Secretariat to assist its work, and to prepare for the eventual Secretariat of the OPCW. The Preparatory Commission stayed in existence from 1993 until shortly after the Convention entered into force on 29 April 1997.

4 The OPCW The implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) established pursuant to Article VIII of the CWC. CONFERENCE OF THE STATES PARTIES EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT

5 Chemical Weapons Convention features First disarmament and non-proliferation agreement with global application, banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction under strict international control Comprehensive verification system A complex exercise: Arms Control & Disarmament - CW issues Non-proliferation / Confidence Building Measures - Chemical Industry issues Assistance and Protection Economic and Technological Development

6 States Parties undertake to declare and destroy all their chemical weapons (CW) and CW production facilities under strict international verification ensure that toxic chemicals and their precursors are only used for legitimate purposes (national implementation measures, declarations and international verification) provide assistance and protection through the OPCW in case of use of CW against a State Party facilitate international cooperation in the peaceful application of chemistry for permitted purposes

7 CWC prohibitions developing, producing, otherwise acquiring, stockpiling or retaining CW, or transferring directly or indirectly CW to anyone using CW engaging in any military preparations to use CW assisting, encouraging or inducing anyone, in any way, in any activity prohibited to a State Party under the Convention use of riot control agents as a method of warfare

8 Status of participation in the CWC 188 States Parties Only 7 States Not Party 2 Signatory States about 95% of the global population and landmass 98% of the worldwide chemical industry all 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, and vast majority of states with CWC declarable activities and facilities 7 chemical weapons possessors 12 possessors of former CWPFs 10 OCW and 3 ACW possessors 5 Non-signatory States As at 3 December 2010

9 History of chemical weapons BC Use of arsenic smoke during the Peloponnesian war. 673 AD First use of "Greek Fire" at the siege of Constantinople. Although chemicals had been used as tools of war for thousands of years e.g. poisoned arrows, boiling tar, arsenic smoke and noxious fumes, etc. modern chemical warfare has its genesis on the battlefields of World War I. World War I, 1915 Gas attack, Western Front (World War I).

10 World War I The first large-scale attack with chlorine gas occurred 22 April 1915 at Ypres, or Ieper, in Belgium. The use of several different types of chemical weapons, including mustard gas (yperite), resulted in 90,000 deaths and over one million casualties during the war. By the end of World War I, 124,000 tonnes of chemical agent had been expended.

11 Iran-Iraq War ( ) chemical weapons used during the war in the Around 100,000 soldiers and civilians were affected by chemical weapons during the war Eighteen-month-old child suffering from respiratory problems chemical weapon victim

12 Bhopal disaster 1984 The Bhopal disaster (also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy) is the world's worst industrial catastrophe. It occurred on the night of December 2 3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of several thousands of people. Deaths confirmed related to the gas release

13 Chemical terrorism in Japan The two most recent examples of the use of chemical weapons were the sarin poisoning incident in Matsumoto, a Japanese residential community, in 1994, and the sarin attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, both perpetrated by the Aum Shinrikyu doomsday cult. The OPCW did not yet exist in If the Organisation had existed, Japan could have requested its assistance. After the OPCW was established in 1997, the Organisation was able to verify that the building and the equipment used by the terrorists to produce those chemical weapons were completely destroyed.

14 CBRN THREATS CLASSIFICATION CHEMICALTHREATS CBRN Possibility Intensity Exposure time MILITARY NON-MILITARY WAR ACTIONS WMD CW TERRORISM WMD CW PROLIFERATION CBRN RELEASE OTHER THAN ATTACK CHEMICAL WMD WEAPONS USAGE USAGE CLASSIC WEAPONS ON Indirectly Directly CHEMICAL INDUSTRY FACILITIES DANGEROUS GOODS STORAGE FACILITIES NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS Individuals Groups Organizations Ideological Military Political Religious INCIDENTAL CHEMICAL BILOGICAL RADIOLOGICAL NUCLEAR TOXINS ACCIDENTAL

15 Chemical Weapons Chemical Industrial Accidents Chemical Terrorism

16 Overview of Assistance and Protection Capacity building for Member States in the area of protection Protection network, data bank Investigations of alleged use Emergency assistance Coordination and delivery of assistance pledged by Member States Voluntary fund

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18 Definition of Assistance Coordination Delivery Protection against Chemical Weapons 18

19 Assistance Response System (ARS) Director-General OPCW Investigation of Alleged Use & Assistance Coordination and Assessment Team Qualified Experts Assistance Coordination Group Assistance and Protection Branch Protection Network Support Staff: - Operation & Planning Branch - Media and Public Affairs - Health & Safety - Administration - Policy Making Organs -- International Cooperation & Assistance Support Staff: - Divisions liaisons Officer - Field operations Officer - State Party liaison Officer - OPCW Rijswijk equipment store 19

20 Assistance Response System ARS provides 24 hours coverage Role & functions of the ARS: - Asses & evaluate request of assistance - Dispatch team to conduct an Investigation of Alleged Use - Dispatch delivery of assistance in case of use of chemical weapons - Coordination of delivery of assistance at Headquarters level

21 Assistance Response System Preparation for worst case scenario Gradual response on different scenarios in case of serious threat of use or use of Chemical Weapons

22 Assistance Response System OPCW Headquarters Resources - limited stockpile - ACAT + IAU - Qualified Experts States Parties stockpiles and resources

23 Assistance Response System Assistance Coordination & Assessment Team (ACAT) Tasks: Conduct on-site assessment of CW related assistance needs Support the requested SP in the coordination and management of the receipt of assistance Provide expert advice to Local Emergency Management Authorities (LEMA) and agencies on-site on consequence management measures related to CW Cooperation with other international organisations UN OCHA, BWC/ISU, WHO, etc.

24 Assistance Response System Investigation of Alleged Use Main Task: Collecting evidence to provide foundation for further action

25 Assistance Response System Modular approach in mobilisation of resources 21 pallets, packed, labelled and ready for delivery Total: 1158 masks, 1280 gloves, 30 protection covers, 2058 canisters, decontamination powder, detection paper, drinking bottles, carry cases and backpacks

26 Assistance Response System Offers of Assistance Voluntary Fund 44 States Parties contributed 1,399, Bilateral Agreements 1 State Party signed Agreement with the OPCW Unilateral Offers of Assistance 44 States Parties made Unilateral Offers such as: - Protective, detection, decontamination equipments - Medical antidotes and treatments - Technical expert advice on protective measures

27 Assistance Response System Emergency assistance Humanitarian assistance Supplementary assistance

28 Response to a request for assistance in case of use or serious threat of use of CW 11 National Assistance Teams 1 International Organization 4 Regional Teams 69 Observers from MS 5 International Organisations, as Observers More than 500 participants

29 Assistance Response System Cooperation with other International Organizations UN-OCHA BWC/ISU NATO/EADRCC CTBTO EU Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre UNODA WFP UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament & Development in Latin America & the Caribbean

30 Capacity-building against Chemical Weapons - National Capacity-building Programmes - Regional/sub-regional Capacity-building Programmes - International Assistance & Protection Programmes Since 2004, over 1500 First Responders are Trained from Member States

31 Capacity-building against Chemical Weapons - Every year, the OPCW provides training courses, seminars, and workshops to train Experts to respond to attacks with chemical weapons, and to save lives. - These courses also show Experts how to detect chemical weapons, and practical training to learn knowledge in other means of protection against chemical weapons

32 Capacity-building against Chemical Weapons - Olympics games, Greece ( ) - Asian Games, Qatar ( ) - Cricket World Cup, Trinidad & Tobago (2007) - APEC / EU- Latin America Summit, Peru (2008) - Pan - American Games, Mexico ( )

33 Challenges Ahead!!! Timely delivery of assistance To avoid duplication of efforts & resources cooperation /coordination with relevant organisations Geographic distribution of offers of assistance Strategic airlifting capacities Compatibility of assistance offers related to protection Voluntary fund requirements for emergency???

34 Selected bibliography Basic Facts on Chemical Disarmament, OPCW, 2010 Chemical Weapons Ban: Facts and Figures, OPCW, 2010 The OPCW in International Encyclopaedia of Law: Intergovernmental Organisations, Kluwer Law International, 2000 Website: Produced by OPCW 2010 OPCW. All rights reserved

35 Thank you for your attention!