Demilitarisation
Elimination of chemical weapons stockpiles and chemical weapons production facilities subject to the verification measures provided for in the Convention.
Latest facts and figures
The 7 States Parties (A State Party,
Albania, India, Iraq, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Russian Federation, and the United States of
America) which have declared chemical weapons must destroy 8.67
million items, including munitions and containers containing in total,
71,196 metric tonnes of extremely toxic chemical agents. Albania, India and a third country have completed destruction. By
comparison, a tiny drop of a nerve agent, no larger than the head of a pin, can kill an adult
human being within minutes after exposure.The OPCW verifies that the destruction process is
irreversible. At the same time, States Parties in the process of destroying chemical weapons
are obliged to place the highest priority on the safety of people and on protecting the
environment.
55,939, or
78.57%, of the world's declared stockpile of
71,196 metric tonnes of chemical agent have been verifiably destroyed. (As
at 28/02/2013)
3.95, or
45.56%, of the 8.67 million chemical
munitions and containers covered by the CWC have been verifiably destroyed. (As at
28/02/2013)
Chemical weapons declared and destroyed
| Chemical agent (metric tonnes) | Munitions/containers (million items) | |
|---|---|---|
| Declared | 71,196 | 8.67 |
| Destroyed | 55,939 | 3.95 |
Last updated : 28/02/2013 |
||
| States Parties which have declared Facilities | Declared Sites or Facilities | Inspections Conducted | Sites Inspected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Weapons Production Facilities | 13 | 70 | 453 | 70 |
| Chemical Weapon Destruction Facilities | 6 | 35 | 1,562 | 35 |
| Chemical Weapons Storage Facilities | 7 | 35 | 468 | 35 |
| Abandoned Chemical Weapons | 3 | 34 | 80 | 34 |
| Old Chemical Weapons | 15 | 49 | 114 | 49 |
| Total | 223 | 2,677 | 223 |
- From Entry into Force of the CWC (April 1997) until 28/02/2013, the OPCW has conducted 5,076 inspections on the territory of 86 States Parties, including 2,677 inspections of chemical weapon-related sites. 223 chemical weapon-related sites have been inspected out of a total of 223 declared.
- 100% of the declared chemical weapons stockpiles have been inventoried and verified.
- 180 initial declarations have been received.
- 100% of the declared chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) have been inactivated. All are subject to a verification regime of unprecedented stringency. 64 of the 70 CWPFs declared to the OPCW have been either destroyed (43) or converted for peaceful purposes (21). 13 States Parties have declared CWPFs: Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, France, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Japan, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Russian Federation, Serbia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and another State Party.
Libya Completes Destruction of Its Bulk Sulfur Mustard Stockpile
Libya has completed the destruction of sulfur mustard agent that was stored in bulk in transportation containers at the depot in Ruwagha, bringing the total amount of Category 1 chemical weapons destroyed by Libya to 22.3 metric...06 May 2013Full story
U.S. Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller Visits the OPCW
The United States Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Rose Gottemoeller, visited the OPCW headquarters in The Hague today where she delivered an address on “Arms Control in the Information...06 September 2012Full story
European Union Continues Support for the OPCW
The European Union is contributing more than €2 million to fund OPCW disarmament and assistance activities for the period from June 2012 to June 2014. It is the fifth consecutive time since 2004 that the EU Council has adopted a...16 July 2012Full story
