The result is that the OPCW has no money of its own to pay for inspections!

All costs must be paid by taking funds from other allocations and juggling them to pay for inspections – in the HOPE that they will be repaid in time to pay for what the funds were supposed to pay for in the first place! If the inspected countries are late in payment, the organisation is short of funds to pay for other necessary expenses.

To complicate matters, the OPCW is not allowed to apply for any loans, so the end of each year is regarded with trepidation by the entire organisation.

The simple private sector formula of assessing probable future costs and establishing a contingency fund to cover them has not been included in the OPCW Budget. Were this to be done, there would be no uncertainties concerning inspections and the “Inspections Fund” would work on a revolving basis, being replenished as payments come in. The rest of the Budget would not be affected and there would be no fear of scheduling inspections in the latter part of the accounting year.

It remains to be seen if the new Director-General will be any more successful than was his predecessor in reforming the accounting system.

Like his predecessor, he is a skilled and experienced diplomat, well versed in the political intricacies of negotiation. He began his diplomatic career in 1972 and has represented Argentina at the United Nations, has worked in negotiations involving the Law of the Sea Convention and has specialised in nuclear non-proliferation. He has also worked closely with Brazil, the home of his predecessor, Jose M.Bustani.

Mr. Bustani was ousted from his unanimously elected second term as Director-General when the United States decided that he should no longer hold office.