S/2016/1123 - Status of the implementation of the plan for the destruction of Libya's remaining category 2 chemical weapons outside the territory of Libya.

United Nations
Security Council

S/2016/1123

Distr.: General
28 December 2016
Original: English

Letter dated 28 December 2016 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to transmit herewith a report of the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the status of implementation of the plan for the destruction of Libya's remaining category 2 chemical weapons outside the territory of Libya (see annex). The report, dated 21 December 2016, covers the period from 21 November to 20 December 2016.

The report was prepared for transmission to the Security Council in accordance with the relevant provisions of OPCW Executive Council decision EC-M-52/DEC.1 of 20 July 2016 and Security Council resolution 2298 (2016) of 22 July 2016.

I would be grateful if the present letter and its annex could be brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council.

(Signed) BAN Ki-moon

Annex

[Original: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish]

I have the honour to transmit to you herewith my report, entitled "Status of implementation of the plan for the destruction of Libya's remaining category 2 chemical weapons outside the territory of Libya", prepared in accordance with the relevant provisions of decision EC-M-52/DEC.1 of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of 20 July 2016 and Security Council resolution 2298 (2016) of 22 July 2016, for transmission to the Security Council (see enclosure). The report covers the period from 21 November 2016 to 20 December 2016 and also covers the reporting requirements of Executive Council decisions EC-M-52/DEC.2 of 27 July 2016 and EC-M-53/DEC.1 of 26 August 2016.

(Signed) Ahmet Üzümcü

Enclosure

[Original: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish]

Report by the Director-General

Status of the implementation of the plan for the destruction of Libya's remaining category 2 chemical weapons outside the territory of Libya

1. At its Fifty-Second Meeting, the Executive Council (hereinafter "the Council") adopted a decision on the "Destruction of Libya's Remaining Chemical Weapons" (EC-M-52/DEC.1, dated 20 July 2016) and requested the Director-General to assist Libya in developing a modified plan of destruction of Libya's Category 2 chemical weapons. On 22 July 2016, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2298 (2016), welcoming and endorsing the decision by the Council and requesting the Director-General, through the Secretary-General, to report to the Security Council on a regular basis until the destruction is complete and verified.

2. At the conclusion of its Fifty-Second Meeting, the Council adopted a decision entitled "Detailed Requirements for the Destruction of Libya's Remaining Category 2 Chemical Weapons" (EC-M-52/DEC.2, dated 27 July 2016). In operative paragraph 17 of that decision, the Council requested the Director-General to report to the Council on a monthly basis on the implementation of the decision. This fourth monthly report covers the period from 21 November to 20 December 2016.

Progress in the elimination of Libyan chemical weapons by the State Party hosting destruction activities

3. Gesellschaft zur Entsorgung von chemischen Kampfstoffen und Rustungsaltlasten mbH (GEKA mbH), the designated destruction facility at Munster, Germany, informed the Technical Secretariat (hereinafter "the Secretariat") of the continuation of destruction operations. As at 19 December 2016, GEKA mbH had destroyed 135.88 metric tonnes (MTs) of tributylamine. This destruction was accomplished using the afterburner of the plasma arc system, and no problems were encountered with the destruction process.

4. As at 14 December 2016, GEKA mbH had destroyed 100% (18.04 MTs) of the 2-chloroethanol in Incineration Plant 1 ("Munster-1"). This completes the destruction of the 2-chloroethanol.

5. GEKA mbH continues to finalise the construction of the neutralisation process system for the phosphorous trichloride and the thionyl chloride. The destruction of these two chemicals will not begin until 2017.

6. A team of Secretariat personnel will travel to Germany to conduct an inspection at GEKA mbH from 23 to 26 January 2017. Two observers from the Libyan National Authority will accompany the team. Observations from the inspections of the destruction activities will continue to be included in the monthly updates.

Activities carried out by the Secretariat with respect to Libya

7. The Secretariat conducted an inspection of the GEKA mbH facility from 21 to 25 November 2016. The inspection team was able to review videotapes of all destruction-related activities. The seals on the containers of chemicals awaiting destruction were intact and the seal numbers verified. During the inspection, the Secretariat was informed that the flow meter for the tributylamine had failed due to the corrosion of the metal fittings. A new flow meter with stainless steel fittings was ordered and was being installed at the time of the inspection. The inspection team was able to verify the quantities of chemicals destroyed using information from the process data screens in the control room. Observers from the Libyan National Authority were on hand to witness the ongoing destruction.

8. As previously reported, the Secretariat was informed that during decanting operations at the Ruwagha storage facility in Libya, one container experienced an exothermic reaction, causing the material inside to polymerise. The OPCW Laboratory completed an analysis of the sample received from Libya, which was taken from the tank in question. In addition to determining the composition of the sample, the Laboratory was requested to ascertain whether the contents of the tank could be regarded as destroyed, or if residual declared chemicals were still present in amounts that would require the waste to be further chemically treated, as well as if the tank contents presented a proliferation risk.

9. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, both PCl3 and POCl3 were detected in the sample, in the region of 5% by weight. As the remaining concentrations of PCl3 and POCl3 were found to be more than 0.1% by weight, the contents of the remaining tank cannot be considered as destroyed. The observations made during the analysis of the sample do, however, point towards potential means of destruction. The highly viscous mass found in the tank is dissolvable in water, and the chemicals requiring destruction (PCl3 and POCl3) will hydrolyse to harmless, non-scheduled chemicals.

10. Owing to the levels of the Category 2 chemicals remaining in the container (approximately 5%), the viscous nature of the remnants, and the limited ability to recover any useable material, the Secretariat is in a position to affirm that the material no longer presents a proliferation threat.

11. The Secretariat is working to assemble a budget that will incorporate activities for the disposal of the contents of the remaining tank, as well as the decontamination and clean-up of the decanted tanks remaining in Ruwagha. The Secretariat has been approached with offers of contributions to the trust fund for the remaining activities. Hydrolysis of the contents of the remaining tank is anticipated to be accomplished during the clean-up operations.

Overall costs and status of the trust fund

12. On 1 August 2016, the Secretariat issued a Note calling for voluntary contributions for support to Libya (S/1400/2016, dated 1 August 2016). As at 30 November 2016, a total of EUR 1,268,214 had been received in the trust fund, with contributions from Canada, Cyprus, Finland, New Zealand, and the United States of America. To date, over EUR 402,792 has been disbursed from the trust fund for activities related to the destruction of Libya's Category 2 chemical weapons. As at 30 November 2016, the trust fund contained a balance of EUR 865,421. An additional EUR 44,000 contributed by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was spent on removal operations. Germany has submitted invoices for verification-related activities in accordance with the aforementioned Note by the Secretariat (S/1400/2016). The Secretariat is working with Canada on procuring the services of an expert company to work with Libya on the preparation of a budget for the work related to the disposal of the contents of the remaining tank and clean-up of the decanted tanks at Ruwagha. The European Union has expressed an interest in contributing to this effort. The Director-General would once again like to express his appreciation to those States Parties that have already made or have committed to make voluntary contributions to the trust fund.

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28Dec16

Status of the implementation of the plan for the destruction of Libya's remaining category 2 chemical weapons outside the territory of Libya