PHILIPPINES CONCLUDES PRODUCTIVE CHAIRMANSHIP OF HAGUE CODE OF
CONDUCT (HCOC) AGAINST BALLISTIC MISSILE PROLIFERATION 

27 June 2006 – Philippine Ambassador to Vienna, Austria Linglingay F. Lacanlale reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippines has concluded its two-term Chairmanship of the Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC) against Ballistic Missile Proliferation as delegations lauded the Philippines for its strong contribution to the work of the HCOC. 

In her capacity as outgoing Chair of the HCOC, Ambassador Lacanlale opened the 5^th Regular Meeting of the Subscribing States to the Code held from 22 to 23 June 2006 in Vienna with a brief overview of the highlights of the Philippine Chairmanship, which included: 

• An HCOC outreach seminar in Manila on 10 September 2005, attended by members of the diplomatic corps, which sought to heighten awareness of the HCOC and to encourage more Asian States to subscribe to the Code;

• Adoption by the UN General Assembly at its 60^th Session (2005) of Resolution 60/62, which cited the HCOC as “a practical step against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery” and invited non-Subscribing States to subscribe to the Code;

• Demarches to Governments in Asia and Oceania, providing information about the vital role of the Code in combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and their delivery systems; and

• Support for a closer relationship between the UN and the HCOC, by way of official communications to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the 1540 Committee of the UN Security Council, in which the Philippines highlighted the complementary work of the UN and the HCOC in curbing the proliferation of WMDs.

Newly-elected HCOC Chairman Morocco, together with Australia, Canada, Japan, Libya, the US, and EU Member States and its acceding and candidate countries led delegations in expressing appreciation to the Philippines for its outstanding Chairmanship. 

The HCOC was opened for signature in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 25 November 2002, with 93 countries, including the Philippines, becoming its first Subscribing States. The HCOC seeks to curb the proliferation of ballistic missiles by increasing transparency among Subscribing States, through special Confidence-Building Measures. These include the internal circulation of Pre-Launch Notifications (PLNs) containing advance information on rocket, ballistic missile and space launch vehicles, as well as the submission of "annual declarations" on relevant national policies. 

Since it was opened for signature, the number of Subscribing States to the HCOC has already risen to 124. At least five countries, including Andorra, Kazakhstan, Haiti, Liberia and Mongolia, have subscribed during the Philippines’ Chairmanship.