“The Republic of Albania is also concerned about the Director-General’s prediction that a high turnover in the Technical Secretariat’s Inspectorate Division in 2023 would harm its operational capabilities. The scenario highlights the urgent need to alter the OPCW tenure policy at the Fifth Review Conference to improve the Technical Secretariat’s capacity to keep vital expertise for Convention implementation. As a stopgap, rehiring inspectors should be guaranteed to ensure the continuation of quality work this Organisation is endowed to.”

“States Parties should take the Fifth Review Conference as an opportunity, proceed from the purposes of maintaining the authority of the Convention, foster the unity of the OPCW and promote the realization of “a world free of chemical weapons”. States Parties should review the achievements, and formulate a pragmatic and effective strategy for the next stage of the OPCW, making new contributions to the international arms control and disarmament process. China expects the OEWG to play a constructive role in bridging differences, promoter consensus among States Parties, and yield positive results for the Fifth ReviewConference. China is committed to engaging in the preparation of the FifthReviewConference, and working with all the other parties in upholding the shared, comprehensive and cooperative and sustainable security vision, practicing the true multilateralism and continuously enhancing the universality, authority and effectiveness of the Convention.”

“Canada is pleased by the progress made in preparing for the Fifth Review Conference. We are preparing our paper about gender equality, which we hope will contribute to increasing diversity and inclusion in the Technical Secretariat. Early consultations indicate the Technical Secretariat has already laid the foundation for success in advancing gender equality and diversity, particularly in human resources and assistance and protection.”

“The full, effective, and non-discriminatory implementation of all the provisions of Article XI is imperative. The related training, technology transfer, and equipment exchange programmes are vital for meeting one of the central objectives of the Convention. Likewise, it should guarantee the absence of any obstacles hindering the economic and technological development of the States Parties, while promoting international cooperation in the field of chemical activities for purposes not prohibited by the Convention—one of its basic pillars. We hope that this will be a central topic of discussion at the Fifth Review Conference and that we will be able to make progress in developing a concrete action plan that will help strengthen this activity.”

“Just like other countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region, El Salvador is in favour of balanced geographical representation across the Technical Secretariat. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the knowledge and candidates of the region to ensure that they have the requisite qualifications. As such, this issue is of particular importance for El Salvador during the Fifth Review Conference.”

“The Fifth Review Conference will be an opportunity to consider how to strenghten implementation of the Convention as a key instrument of the international nonproliferation and disarmament regime. Achieving a common vision on countering the reemergence of chemical weapons and safeguarding the global non-use norm is a shared responsibility of all States Parties.”

“The Fifth Review Conference, in May 2023, will be an opportunity for all States Parties to formulate a common vision to counter re-emergence of chemical weapons and reaffirm the global non-use norm of chemical weapons. We are encouraged by the preparatory process so far and hope to see continued, active engagement of States Parties moving forward.”

“The most recent confirmed uses of chemical weapons on a small scale in particular underscore the need for the Organisation to maintain a robust verification regime. We therefore welcome the initial discussions in the context of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) in Preparation for the Fifth Review Conference under the able leadership of the Ambassador of Estonia. The first sessions on verification and international cooperation and assistance have shown the relevance of the Convention, as well as the need to ensure that the Convention and the OPCW remain fit for purpose, both in light of scientific and technological developments and in light of continuing challenges to the global ban on chemical weapons. Moreover, the OEWG’s discussions have yet again confirmed that international cooperation and assistance is an integral part of the Organisation’s efforts to achieve full compliance with the Convention by all States Parties. In addition, considerable developments in the chemical industry necessitate an overall reform of the industry verification regime. Germany is confident that further discussions on these matters within the OEWG will lead to a meaningful outcome for the Fifth Review Conference.”

“Latvia agrees that upcoming the 5th CWC Review Conference will be an appropriate occasion to consider ways how to strengthen international norms prohibiting chemical weapons. Latvia supports efforts by the Chairperson, Ambassador Lauri Kuusing of Estonia to steering the work of the Open-Ended Working Group towards gathering multiple views with a goal of building consensus.”

“My delegation is aware that the threat of use of chemical agents as weapons by non-State actors constitutes a serious danger to the security of the States Parties, and therefore commends the work done within the framework of the Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism, chaired by H.E. Ambassador Vusimuzi Madonsela, the Permanent Representative of South Africa.

The latest meeting of this Group was an opportunity to gather the views of the States Parties in regard to the scourge of chemical terrorism and the risk of the re-emergence of chemical weapons; these should be reflected in the preparatory process for the Fifth Review Conference scheduled for 2023.”

“Poland is very interested in a tangible outcome of the Review Conference, which should take stock of the implementation of the Convention and offer guidance for further strengthening it in the future. We also see merit in including the topic of sea-dumped chemical weapons in the 3 related discussions.”

“The Fifth Review Conference next May will provide a valuable opportunity to enhance the readiness of the OPCW as a whole in key areas from verification and international cooperation to capacity-building.”

“Next year will be an extremely important one: the Fifth Review Conference will take place. It will be an opportunity to consider how to ensure the continued relevance of the Convention as a key instrument of the international non-proliferation and disarmament regime. It will also be an opportunity to pay attention from the perspective of a common vision on countering the reemergence of chemical weapons and safeguarding the global non-use norm. In this context, we cannot forget the importance of the operationalization of the Centre for Chemistry and Technology – the ChemTech Centre, which will significantly enhance the capabilities and status of the OPCW as a global leader in the effort to rid the world of chemical weapons. Romania financially supported the existence of this centre and will continue to be involved in this initiative.”

“The Fifth Review Conference, to be held in 2023, will be critical in reaching a common understanding to address the challenges facing the Convention and to keep the Organisation fit for purpose.”

“The United States would also like to commend the Estonian Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group for the Preparation of the Fifth Review Conference for the successful discussions on verification-related issues and enhancing International Cooperation and Assistance. States Parties discussed many useful ideas for improving the verification regime and for using International Cooperation and Assistance programs to build capacity and promote full implementation of the Convention. We believe that it is crucial that the Review Conference address forward-looking ideas in these areas to ensure that the OPCW remains fit for purpose. We also commend the South African Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group on Terrorism for his efforts to address the emerging threat of CW use by non-state actors, and we hope the Review Conference will highlight this topic.”