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Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) – Profiles

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Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Work Johan de Wittlaan 32 The Hague 2517 JR Netherlands Work Phone: +31 70 416 3300 Website: OPCW

Biography

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), based in The Hague, is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) which entered into force in 1997.

Currently OPCW has 190 Member States. In terms of staff, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has approximately 500 dedicated staff, nearly 200 of which are inspectors.

The CWC Convention contains four key provisions:

  • Destroying all existing chemical weapons under international verification by the OPCW
  • Monitoring chemical industry to prevent new weapons from re-emerging
  • Providing assistance and protection to States Parties against chemical threats
  • Fostering international cooperation to strengthen implementation of the CWC

States that have not signed the CWC include Angola, Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan. Signatory states that have not yet ratified the CWC are Israel and Myanmar.