Division II.1 Visits of Executive Council representatives and observers of States Parties in the People's Republic of China and the United States of America to obtain an overview of the destruction programmes

Executive Council visits have regularly been supported by the Union (in Joint Action 2007/185/CFSP and Decisions 2009/569/CFSP, 2012/166/CFSP and (CFSP) 2015/259). The visits conducted so far have proved to be valuable as a means of addressing questions or concerns about a possessor State Party's programme for fulfilling its obligations on the destruction of its chemical weapons. All States Parties will benefit from these visits, which will help enhance transparency and build confidence that progress is being made for the complete destruction of the remaining chemical weapons in accordance with the provisions of the CWC and subject to the verification of the Technical Secretariat. The project should encourage broader participation in such visits by States Parties while taking into account the appropriate financial criteria and taking steps to ensure the adequate rotation of participants.