A challenge inspection, and the twelve-hour window in which the Executive Council can stop it

Background

Each State Party has the right to ask for an on-site challenge inspection, to be conducted anywhere without delay, of any facility or location in the territory of another State Party or in any other place under the control or jurisdiction of it. A request of that kind reaches the Executive Council and the Director-General together, for processing at once. The inspection mandate is then issued by the Director-General, and the inspected State Party learns of the request not less than 12 hours before its team is due at the point of entry. The Executive Council has only 12 hours after it receives the request to stop the inspection, and it needs a three-quarter majority of all its members to do so. Neither the requesting nor the inspected State Party takes part in that vote. A refusal is open to the Council where it treats the request as frivolous, abusive or clearly beyond the scope of the Convention as described in paragraph 8. A State Party asked for clarification must answer not later than 10 days after the request. If an abuse is found, the Council looks at whether the cost of the inspection should fall on the State Party that asked for it.