Title: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Summary of Provisions:

The OPCW works to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in four main ways:

1) Oversight of the destruction of stockpiles of chemical weapons and the destruction or conversion (to peaceful purposes) of production facilities and munitions.

2) Carrying out inspections to verify states' declarations about what has been destroyed and the activities of their chemical industries. Also inspections where allegations of non-compliance have been made against a member state or where use of chemical weapons is suspected.

3) Ensuring non-proliferation of chemical weapons through oversight of international trade in restricted chemicals and the pursuit of universal membership of the CWC, while encouraging exchange of equipment, technology and knowledge for peaceful purposes.

4) Provision of assistance to member states on preventing and dealing with the aftermath of chemical attacks.

In order to do this, the OPCW receives, analyses and verifies states' declarations concerning destruction of weapons, activities of their chemical industry and trade in restricted chemicals (i.e. those listed in the Schedules of the CWC). It also runs seminars, workshops and training programmes on the CWC, the chemical industry and on coping with chemical attacks. The OPCW can also help states to implement the national legislation required by the CWC.

Summary of Development:

The OPCW was created in 1997 as the CWC entered into force. It is run on a day-to-day basis by a secretariat of over 500 people and also has an executive council that meets on a regular basis and a Conference of the States Parties, made up of all members, that meets annually. The Conference of the States Parties will hold review conferences every five years on the implementation of the CWC.

Progressing towards its goal of universality of the CWC the OPCW has increased its membership for 87 states in 1997 to 167 states as of November 2004. Over 1200 inspections have been carried out so far. No inspections to verify whether an attack has occurred have been necessary, nor have any challenge inspections yet been requested. The OPCW states that it "has overseen the destruction of nearly 10 per cent of the world's stockpile" and "The CWC regime now covers 90 per cent of the world's population, 92 per cent of the world's landmass, and 98 per cent of its chemical industry" (http://www.opcw.org/html/info/chemdisarm_frameset.html).

Current Status:

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

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Related Summaries on the Genomics Gateway Site:

Chemical Weapons Convention

Page last updated 4th July 2005.

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