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1 1 (August 25, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/goveekn0001 and id is 1 raw text is: C r~s W ~#se~src~h $arvi~ ~ .~f ~mI~ th ~ ~ 4 August25, 2021 Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): Budget and U.S. Contributions The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), located in The Hague, Netherlands, is the international organizationresponsible for overseeing implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC, or Convention). The parties to the CWChave agreed to destroy and prevent the development anduse of chemical weapons, as well as to restrict the use of dual-use chemicals while promoting technical cooperation. Assessed use of chemical weapons by Syria, North Korea, and Russia since 2013 has drawn renewed U.S. and international attention to chemical weapons issues andplaced additional demands ontheOPCW. Background and Context The CWC opened for signature in January 1993 and entered into force on April29, 1997. Currently 193 states are party to the treaty. Israelhas signed butnot ratified the Convention. Egypt, North Korea, and South Sudan have not signed the CWC. The United States signedthe CWCin 1993; the U.S. Senate subsequently held hearings and debated the treaty before granting its advice and consent to ratification on April24, 1997 (S.Res.75, 105h Congress). Congress passed the CWC implementing legislation as a part of the FY1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L.105- 277) in October 1998. This legislationprovides the statutory authority for domestic compliance with the Convention's provisions. The United States is scheduled to complete destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles by 2023. CWC Provisions and OPCW Role The CWC bans the development, production, transfer, stockpiling, anduse ofchemical and toxin weapons, and mandates the destruction of all chemical weapons and their production facilities. The CWCrequires states p arties to provide declarations, which detail chemical weapons- related activities or materials and relev ant industrial activities. The OPCW Technical Secretariat, which employs about 500 staff, verifies the accuracy of these declarations, inspecting and monitoring states' facilities and activities, including chemical weapons destruction efforts. The CWC created a complexverification regime, with different obligations applying to different types of chemical facilities. The convention establishes three schedules of chemicals, grouped by relevance to chemical weapons production and the extent of their legitimate uses. Some chemical facilities are subjectto systematic onsite verification; others are subject to periodic verification inspections. CWC states parties may also request challenge https://crsrepc inspections at facilities suspected to be in violation of the convention. TheCWC states parties reimbursethe OPCW for the costofinspections. Governing Structure and Budget Process CWC states parties review implementation of the Convention and oversee the work of the OPCW through two governing bodies: the Conference of States Parties (CSP, or Conference) and the Executive Council (EC, or Council). The CSP consists ofrepresentatives of all states parties to the CWC. The EC is made up of 41 member states elected on a rotating basis for a two-year termby the CSP; the CWCrequires the Council membership to reflect equitable geographicaldistribution. The OPCW Director General (DG) prepares the budget estimate and sends it to the EC. After reviewing the budget, the EC sends it to the CSP for approval. The Conference meets annually to approve the OPCW's programand budget and to decide on other matters brought before it by the EC, the DG, and member states. The CSP approves the budget as recommended by the EC, or returns the budget draft with recommendations to the EC for res ubmis sion. The CWC requires the CSP to appoint the OPCW DG, who serves for a four-year term. The current DG, Fernando Arias, a Spanish diplomat, was appointed in December 2017. In addition to preparing the budget, the DGreviews inspection reports, oversees the Technical Secretariat, and works to promote universal membership in the CWC. The OPCW is a related organization ofthe United Nations (U.N.) system. The two organizations signed a Relationship Agreement in 2001 in which they agreed to cooperate closely, especially in cases of particular gravity and urgency. OPCW Budget Structure and 2021 Funding The OPCW budget consists of the Regular Budget Fund, the Working Capital Fund, and the Voluntary Fund for Assistance. The OPCW budget is determined on an annual calendar yearbasis. The organization follows the principle of zero-based budgeting characterized by zero nominal growth in member states' as sessed contributions. Both CSP and EC decisions regarding the OPCW budget (described above) require a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Typically, the Conference approves the following year's budget each September; the Conference approved the 2021 budgetin December2020. For 2021, the .conqress.ov 9

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