CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION IMPLEMENTATION

UNCLAS DOHA 001743 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR PM/NP/RA - MSTUMPF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL CWC OPCW CBW BWC QA SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION IMPLEMENTATION OBLIGATIONS: QATARI LEGISLATION IS IN DRAFT FORM REF: SECSTATE 193643 ¶1. DCM delivered ref demarche to Dr. Hassan al-Hamadi, Head of the Legal Affairs Department at the MFA, on December 13. Al-Hamadi said that Qatar has an inter-agency committee (of which he is a member) charged with implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention. "You will see it becoming more active," he said. Regarding implementing penal legislation, al-Hamadi said that a draft law is being reviewed by the Council of Ministers (the Qatari Cabinet),the last step before enactment by the Amir. Al-Hamadi did not give a timetable for full compliance with the CWC's Article VII. ¶2. Post will engage Qatar's CWC Committee Chair on this issue and on establishing a Memorandum of Understanding for challenge inspections. UNTERMEYER