HCOC – ICC/Executive Secretariat
The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC) is the result of efforts of the international community to internationally regulate the area of ballistic missiles capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. The HCOC is the only multilateral transparency and confidence building instrument concerning the spread of ballistic missiles.
By subscribing to the HCOC, members voluntarily commit themselves politically to provide pre-launch notifications (PLNs) on ballistic missile and space-launch vehicle launches (SLVs) and test flights. Subscribing States also commit themselves to submit an annual declaration (AD) of their country’s policies on ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles.
Since the signing and entering into force of the politically-binding HCOC in November 2002 in The Hague (Netherlands) the number of signatories has increased from 96 to 137. Austria signed the HCOC in 2002.
As agreed by the conference in The Hague, Austria serves as the Immediate Central Contact (Executive Secretariat) and therefore coordinates the information exchange within the HCOC framework. In 2011 a new HCOC website was created with EU financing.
The link between the UN and the HCOC, a multilateral code negotiated outside the context of the United Nation System, is established with the Resolutions regarding the HCOC that were adopted several times during UN-General Assemblies in New York, most recently during the 71th General Assembly in Autumn 2016.
Since the entry into force of the HCOC in November 2002, annual Regular Meetings of Subscribing States to the HCOC (annual conferences) are held in Vienna. The 16th Regular Meeting was held from 6-7 June 2017 under Polish Chairmanship in Vienna.
Immediate Central Contact (Executive Secretariat):
Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs
Department II.8 – Disarmament, Arms Control, Non-Proliferation
Immediate Central Contact (HCOC)
Minoritenplatz 8, 1010 Vienna
Phone: +43 50 11 50/DW 3247
Fax: +43 50 11 59/DW 3247
E-Mail: hcoc(at)bmeia.gv.at