26th Session of the OPCW Conference of the States Parties - Joint Statement on Alexey Navalny

CSP 26 - Joint statement by ALBANIA, ANDORRA, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, CANADA, COLOMBIA, COOK ISLANDS, CROATIA, CYPRUS, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GEORGIA, GERMANY, GREECE, HONDURAS, HUNGARY, ICELAND, IRELAND, ITALY, JAPAN, LATVIA, LIBERIA, LIECHTENSTEIN, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, MALTA, MARSHALL ISLANDS, MONACO, MONTENEGRO, the NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, NIUE, NORWAY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, POLAND, PORTUGAL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA, ROMANIA, SAN MARINO, SLOVAK REPUBLIC, SLOVENIA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, TURKEY, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND VANUATU AT THE TWENTY-SIXTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE STATES PARTIES

We, as States Parties of the Chemical Weapons Convention, condemn in the

strongest possible terms the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon in the Russian

Federation against Mr Alexei Navalny on 20 August 2020. We remain gravely

concerned by this use of a chemical weapon.

We welcome the assistance provided by the OPCW Technical Secretariat in

relation to Mr Navalny’s poisoning. OPCW analysis of biomedical samples confirmed

the presence of a cholinesterase inhibitor. We note that the cholinesterase inhibitor

was identified as a nerve agent from a group of chemicals known as “Novichoks”.

We have full confidence in the OPCW’s independent scientific finding that Mr

Navalny was exposed to a Novichok nerve agent. We note that a Novichok nerve

agent was also used in an attack in the United Kingdom in 2018.

Any poisoning of an individual with a nerve agent is a use of a chemical weapon.

The use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any

circumstances is unacceptable and contravenes international standards and norms

against such use. States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention have

repeatedly condemned all use of chemical weapons and reiterated their commitment

to the prohibition against the use of chemical weapons under Article I of the

Convention. Use of a chemical weapon constitutes a direct threat to the object and

purpose of the Convention.

We reiterate and reaffirm our strong support for the Convention on the Prohibition

of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on

their Destruction. The Convention is an essential pillar of the international

disarmament and counter-proliferation architecture and the rules-based international

order on which we all rely. We underline the importance of the full implementation of

the Convention and underscore our enduring commitment to exclude completely the

possibility of the use of chemical weapons.

Article VIII, paragraph 20 of the Convention provides that the Conference shall

oversee the implementation of the Convention, act in order to promote its object and

purpose, and review compliance with it. We urge the Russian Federation, on whose

territory this attack on a Russian political opposition figure took place, to assist the Conference in this role by disclosing in a comprehensive and transparent manner the

circumstances of this chemical weapons attack. We note that the Russian

Federation submitted a request for technical assistance from the Technical

Secretariat, with reference to Article VIII, paragraph 38(e) of the Convention, but that

the Russian Federation has not agreed to the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s

standard terms of reference for such assistance to take place.

On 5 October 2021, 45 States Parties posed questions to the Russian Federation

pursuant to Article IX, paragraph 2 of the Convention, which provides for States

Parties to exchange information within a set timeframe on any matter which may

cause doubt about compliance with the Convention, or which gives rise to concerns

about a related matter which may be considered ambiguous. The Russian

Federation’s response on 7 October 2021 did not answer the questions posed. The

Russian Federation has not provided information sufficient to answer the doubts and

concerns raised in the questions submitted by 45 States Parties. On 5 November

2021 the 45 States Parties responded to the Russian Federation and again set out

the questions, including the requests related to what actions the Russian Federation

has taken since 20 August 2020 in light of its obligations under the Convention,

including Article VII, paragraph 1; an explanation of what further steps the Russian

Federation envisages to address the incident; and the Russian Federation’s failure to

agree to the standard modalities for a Technical Assistance Visit.

We urge the Russian Federation to provide the necessary clarification in

accordance with its obligations under the Convention. There must be no impunity for

those who use chemical weapons. Those responsible for the use of chemical

weapons must be held accountable.