Member States: The OPCW Member States already represent about 98% of the global population and landmass, as well as 98% of the worldwide chemical industry. A state becomes a State Party, and thereby a member of the Organisation, by one of three means — ratification, accession or succession. Instruments of ratification, accession or succession must be deposited with the designated Depositary of the Convention, who is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Non-Member States: List of Signatory States which have not yet ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, and a list of States that have neither signed nor acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The OPCW provides all States not Party to the CWC support in preparing to join the CWC and to effectively implement the global ban on chemical weapons.
Conference of the States Parties: The Conference of the States Parties is the main policy-making organ of the OPCW. Composed of all Member States, the Conference meets annually as well as in special session when necessary.
Executive Council: The Executive Council is comprised of the representatives of 41 Member States, who are elected by all other OPCW Member States to serve two-year terms. The Executive Council usually meets four times per year, and more frequently in meetings and informal consultations, to take policy decisions that enable the OPCW to function.
Technical Secretariat: The Technical Secretariat assists the Conference of States Parties and the Executive Council and has a staff of about 500 people. It carries out the daily work of implementing the Convention, including conducting inspections.
Subsidiary bodies: The Convention also provides for the establishment of three subsidiary bodies to aid the three main organs of the OPCW in their work: the Scientific Advisory Board, the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Issues, and the Confidentiality Commission.
UN-OPCW relationship: Article VIII, paragraph 34(a), of the Convention mandates the Executive Council to conclude agreements or arrangements with States and international organisations on behalf of the OPCW, subject to prior approval by the Conference of the States Parties. The first such agreement, the Relationship Agreement between the United Nations and the OPCW, was concluded with the United Nations in 2000 and entered into force in 2001. The Relationship Agreement was approved by the OPCW Conference of the States Parties in decision C-VI/DEC.5 dated 17 May 2001 and by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution A/RES/55/283 dated 7 September 2001.
Headquarters agreement: Agreement between the OPCW and the Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning the headquarters of the OPCW
Information for vendors: The OPCW issues over 500 purchase orders and contracts with a value of EUR 5 million for supply of goods and services every year. These orders are for delivery to OPCW’s Headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands and its Laboratory at Rijswijk, Netherlands. Headquarters deliveries consist of computer and office equipment and supplies; specialized equipment for the organisation’s operations; and scientific equipment for use at the Organisation’s Laboratory. Procurement Notices can be accessed at the OPCW Bidboard, which lists procurement notices for supply to OPCW.

Page not found

The OPCW website has been re-structured. Please use the sitemap or navigation menus to find your page. If you are still unable to find the information you are looking for, please contact us.

Sitemap

Demilitarisation: The most important obligation under the Convention is the destruction of chemical weapons. It is also the most expensive aspect of the Convention’s implementation. Most of the destruction costs are generated by the investment in state-of-the-art technology to ensure that the risk to people and to the environment is kept to a minimum at every stage in the transportation and destruction of munitions, as well as during the removal and destruction of chemical agents. Destruction, therefore, has to be carried out at highly specialised facilities.
Non-proliferation: Each State Party shall adopt the necessary measures to ensure that toxic chemicals and their precursors are only developed, produced, otherwise acquired, retained, transferred, or used within its territory or in any other place under its jurisdiction or control for purposes not prohibited under this Convention. Each State Party shall subject toxic chemicals and their precursors listed in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Annex on Chemicals, facilities related to such chemicals, and other facilities as specified in the Verification Annex, that are located on its territory or in any other place under its jurisdiction or control, to verification measures as provided in the Verification Annex.
Assistance and Protection: Chemical weapons are frightening and dreadful weapons. They inflict excruciating and long-term suffering on a mass scale. Some Member States have the capacity to protect their populations against chemical weapons, while others do not. All Member States have pledged to provide assistance and protection to fellow Member States threatened by the use of chemical weapons or attacked with chemical weapons.
International Cooperation: The Organisation’s international cooperation programmes focus on capacity building for the peaceful applications of chemistry in areas which are relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Support programmes, funded by the Member States, enhance the ability of the Organisation to hinder prohibited activity and to extend the benefits of peaceful uses of chemistry to all.
Universality: Adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention demonstrates a state's commitment to disarmament and international co-operation, and helps to reinforce its position in the mainstream of international politics. It builds confidence and transparency in security-related policies at regional and international levels. By embracing international norms of behaviour, the States Parties create a conducive atmosphere for bilateral and multilateral co-operation and interaction in the field of disarmament and security.
National implementation: The Secretariat’s implementation-support programmes help States Parties to meet their obligations under Article VII of the Convention. This includes establishing National Authorities for effective liaison with the OPCW; taking the necessary steps to enact legislation, including penal legislation, and to adopt administrative measures to implement the Convention; identifying declarable chemical-industry and trade activities; and submitting accurate declarations.