On January 13, 2009 Iraq deposited its instrument of accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The convention will enter into force for Iraq on February 12, 2009, making them the 186th State Party to the convention. The accession of Iraq leaves only 9 states outside of the CWC; the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Israel and Myanmar are CWC signatories but have yet to ratify it. Angola, the People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic have neither signed nor ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The accession of Iraq coupled with the December 2008 accession of Lebanon mark significant progress toward the OPCW goal of CWC universality.
On January 14 the US State Department issued a press release regarding Iraq’s accession into the CWC.
News Stories:
Iraq Joins Chemical Weapons Convention – Global Security News Wire
Iraq Signs UN Treaty Banning Chemical Weapons – VOA News
Iraq ratifies treaty banning chemical weapons – Yahoo News
Iraq Ratifies Treaty Banning Chemical Weapons – The Telegraph
Iraq Ratifies Treaty Banning Chemical Weapons – Kansas City Star
Iraq Signs UN Treaty Outlawing Chemical Weapons – Channel News Asia
Iraq Ratifies Treaty Banning Chemical Weapons – Khaleej Times
Iraq Signs UN Treaty Outlawing Chemical Weapons – The Morning Star
Iraq Signs Up For Chemical Weapon Ban – ABC News Australia
Iraq Ratifies Treaty Banning Chemical Weapons – Las Vegas Sun
Iraq Ratifies Chemical Weapons Treaty – UPI
Iraq Accedes to International Chemical Weapon Ban – Reuters
Ban Welcomes Iraq’s Deposit of Instrument to CWC Accession – Zawya