Chemical Weapons Convention Coalition Preparing for Fifth Review Conference of the CWC

Our main focus over the past month has been preparing for the Fifth Review Conference of the CWC, which will take place from 15 to 19 May in The Hague. We are facilitating NGO participation in the conference by organizing side events and NGO statements. More detailed information about this will be distributed over the next few weeks.  In order to engage with NGO participation ahead of the conference, on 21 March we hosted a Zoom event with Ambassador Henk Cor van der Kwast, the Dutch permanent representative to the OPCW and chair-designate of RC5. Ambassador van der Kwast shared his insights on the challenges and expectations for the upcoming conference, and CWC Coalition Chair Dr. Paul Walker moderated the Q&A session. The link to the recording of the event can be found here.  “Women at the OPCW” The OPCW hosted an online panel event that brought a much-needed gendered lens to the operations of the OPCW. OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias moderated a discussion about the experiences of several prominent female leaders at the OPCW, in which they talked about the headway that has been made in bridging the gender gap, initiatives by the OPCW to encourage gender inclusivity at all levels of the organization, and their advice to women who are starting out in the field today. The link to the recording of the event can be found here.  As we approach RC5, we want to continue to prioritize gender as an important element of CW-related issues. Accordingly, if you have suggestions or comments about how to work towards this goal, we would be happy to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].

Coming UpOn 26 April we will be hosting a webinar for CWC Coalition members to discuss the upcoming Review Conference in greater detail. We plan to focus on what we as a community hope to contribute and can expect from the conference, as well as the logistical details for those members who will be attending in person. A link to register for this event will be sent out next week.

News Roundup

• Basic course on chemical emergency preparedness for North Africa and Sahel region, OPCW, 15 March 2023
• The Nonproliferation Compliance Cheminformatics Tool completes a second test, Stimson, 17 March 2023
• Facing the challenge of terrorists with chemical weapons  (European Eye on Radicalization), 16 March 2023
• Expanding the Australia Group’s Chemical Weapons Precursors Control List with a family-based approach, Stimson, 20 March 2023
• Scientists seek quicker ways to identify chemical and biological weapons (ERR News, 27 March 2023
• Arria-formula meeting on “Risks stemming from the Politicization of the Activities of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” Security Council Report, 23 March 2023
• OPCW confirms more Syrian chemical weapons use, Arms Control Today, 1 March 2023