French Initiative

The Initiative
The French Foreign Ministry informally briefed invited members of civil society in the morning, while the formal launch was held in the afternoon at the Ministerial level which was attended by approximately nearly 30 state representatives. That afternoon France activated the initiative’s website and published a Declaration of Principles.
US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson criticized Russia for having not lived up to its obligations as a guarantor of Syria’ implementation of its CWC obligations and warned “This initiative puts those who ordered and carried out chemical weapons attack on notice. You will face a day of reckoning for your crimes against humanity and your victims will see justice done’.

Participants of the initiative undertake, consistent with international law and respective national laws, regulations and policies to:
1.) Collect, compile, retain, and preserve relevant information to support efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the proliferation or use of chemical weapons;
2.) Facilitate the sharing of such information with participating States, and international, or regional organisation as appropriate, so that those responsible may be brought to justice;
3.) Use relevant mechanisms to designate individuals, entities, groups and governments involved in the proliferation of chemical weapons for sanctions, as appropriate;
4.) Publicize the names of individuals, entities, groups or governments placed under sanctions for their involvement in the proliferation or use of chemical weapons through a dedicated website;
5.) Strengthen the capacity of Participating States, through national and supranational measures, to hold accountable those involved in the use of chemical weapons, including by enhancing the legal and operational capabilities of States to identify and sanction or prosecute individuals and entities involved in the proliferation or use of chemical weapons:
6.) Support, where appropriate, common positions in existing for a regarding the use of chemical weapons, for example the OPCW Executive Council and the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

France will act as the coordinator in 2018. As such it will present the initiative at a forthcoming session of the EU Working Party on Non-Proliferation (CONOP), and at an as yet unspecified NATO format. A major objective will be to expand the number of CWC States Parties to associate themselves with the initiative.