| RSVP: Internal Meeting March 30 |
| With the possibility of chemical weapons use in the headlines, the CWC Coalition will be hosting an internal CWC Coalition meeting on Wednesday, March 30, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EDT (Washington, DC) via Zoom. During this meeting, we will be discussing: – Overview of current chemical weapons issues in Ukraine and Russia conflict, led by Gregory Koblentz (Director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University) – What the outcome would be if chemical weapons are used during this conflict, and how the NGO community should respond – Creating a strong joint statement opposing the use of chemical weapons that CWC Coalition members can sign on to – Plans for moving the working groups forward Also, if you have published any articles or resources to help explain the current threat of chemical weapons use, such as CBW Events’ Ukraine FAQ or Greg Koblentz’s interview with CNN on “Russia and Chemical Weapons,” please send it to us so we can help amplify it on Twitter! We hope to see many of you there! RSVP via Zoom |
EVENT: 7th International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions
IDUM, founded by CWC Coalition member Terrance Long, is holding its 7th International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions online and in-person on March 31 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT.
The Final Push for U.S. Chemical Weapons Demilitarization
In this ACA Issue Brief, Leanne Quinn provides a detailed history of the US chemical weapons demilitarization mission, and underscores the importance of the U.S. meeting its Sept. 30, 2023 treaty deadline.
Subscribe to the new VERTIC newsletter
VERTIC invites everyone to subscribe to their new newsletter to receive updates on publications, activity and events – such as their new publication on “Judicial enforcement of BWC and CWC implementing legislation.”
| Executive Council 99: Summary Report The 41-member Executive Council (EC) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) convened in The Hague from March 8 to March 11, 2022, for the 99th Executive Council (EC-99) session. The Executive Council is responsible for promoting the effective implementation of and compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Russian invasion of Ukraine dominated the discussion, with many nations calling on Russia to immediately stop hostilities. Forty-nine states parties endorsed a joint statement that pushed back against Russian disinformation. Ukraine submitted a note verbale warning that Russia could be preparing to use chemical weapons in a “false flag” incident in order to justify continued violence. Many states continued to call on Russia to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation of the Navalny poisoning, including working with the OPCW to schedule a Technical Assistance Visit, but no progress was made on that front. Read the full Summary Report here. |
| NEWS STORY TO WATCH |
The Washington Post: The United States and its allies have intelligence that Russia may be preparing to use chemical weapons against Ukraine, U.S. and European officials said last week. Security officials and diplomats said the intelligence, which they declined to detail, pointed to possible preparations by Russia for deploying chemical munitions.
| ON OUR CALENDAR 12 March — Rotary Fellowship Alumni Association presents: “Chemical Weapons and Disarmament”- Watch recording 30 March — Internal CWC Coalition Meeting – RSVP here 31 March — 7th International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions – RSVP here 29 April — 25th Anniversary of the Entry-Into-Force of the Chemical Weapons Convention |