Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997. As of today OPCW has 192 Member States, who are working together to achieve a world free of chemical weapons.

The OPCW Member States share the collective goal of preventing chemistry from ever again being used for warfare, thereby strengthening international security. To this end, the 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; and
• fostering international cooperation to strengthen implementation of the Convention and promote the peaceful use of chemistry.

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