Legal and Privacy

Welcome to the OPCW!

Thanks for visiting our website. By using our website, you are agreeing to these terms. Please read them carefully.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), located at Johan de Wittlaan 32, 2517 JR, The Hague, Netherlands, provides and maintains the OPCW website to enhance public access to general information about the OPCW and its activities. We attempt to keep this information timely and accurate and any errors brought to our attention will be corrected as soon as possible. The OPCW cannot, however, guarantee that all information or data on this website is correct. Therefore, the OPCW accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the information or data on this website. Access to, and use of, this website is provided by the OPCW subject to the following Terms and Conditions:

  1. The OPCW hereby disclaims any liability or responsibility arising from the use of information or data contained on this website, including any inappropriate, improper or fraudulent use of information or data provided to users.
  2. The OPCW, members of its staff, its contractors and its employees shall not be liable for any financial or other consequences whatsoever, arising from the use of information or data contained on this website, including the inappropriate, improper or fraudulent use of such information or data.
  3. Information or data contained on this website shall not be reproduced or used for commercial purposes, except for where otherwise noted.
  4. The OPCW provides to users of this website information which the OPCW deems, on the basis of its own criteria and in its sole and complete discretion, to be appropriate for disclosure.
  5. Information or data provided sometimes refers to external websites over which the OPCW has no control and in respect of which it disclaims all liability.
  6. The consultation and/or use of this website shall automatically constitute full acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

We use data to build a better website experience for our users.

The information we collect helps to ensure our website is working as intended, such as troubleshooting issues or analysing performance. We also use this information to make improvements to our website — for example, understanding which search terms are frequently misspelled helps us improve search results for other users.

How we use cookies and similar technologies

Like many other websites, OPCW.org uses small files called cookies to help improve your user experience. We use both session cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your device for a set period of time or until you delete them). We use the following types of cookies:

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary to allow us to deliver content to your web browser. For example, they let us recognise what features are enabled in your browser settings so we can provide you with the best user experience. These cookies do not hold any information to identify an individual person, but are instead used to identify a browser on an individual device.

If you prefer, you can restrict or block these cookies by changing your browser settings but that may mean that some features on our website won’t work.

Performance and Analytics Cookies

We use these cookies to analyse how opcw.org is accessed and is performing. We use this information to measure, maintain, operate, and continually improve our website. These cookies can tell us if you have visited our website before, allowing us to measure how many individual users we have, and how often they visit the site. These cookies do not collect information that identifies you; all of the information that these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.

Functional Cookies

These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make while browsing our website, such as language preference and multimedia player settings, so they do not have to be set each time you return to the site. The information that these cookies collect do not personally identify you, and cannot track your browsing activity on non-OPCW websites.

Third-Party Cookies

Our website contains links to social media sites including Facebook, and Twitter that enable users who are logged in to social media services to share content via that service. When you share a page using a social media sharing button (for example, Facebook) from opcw.org, the social media site may generate a cookie. Since the cookie policies of these companies change over time, you should review their policies by visiting the privacy policy pages of these websites directly.

Web Beacons

We use web beacons (invisible images often referred to as pixel tags or clear GIFs) on our website in order to recognise users, assess traffic patterns, identify preferred content and measure website engagement. We also include web beacons in our e-mail distribution campaigns to count how many e-mail messages have been opened. All of the information that these becons collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.

OPCW General Privacy Notice

OPCW is committed to ensuring that we adequately protect the Personal Data of individuals that we Process as outlined in this Privacy Notice (“users” or “you”).

“Personal Data” is information that identifies or may be used to identify you as an individual. “Process” or “Processing” means any operation, or set of operations, automated or not, which is performed on Personal Data, including but not limited to collection, storage, use, transfer, disclosure, or deletion. This Privacy Notice provides information regarding the Processing of your Personal Data by OPCW.

The Processing of your Personal Data as set out below is consistent with, or reasonably necessary for, the OPCW to carry out its mandate and activities in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, decisions of the OPCW policy-making organs, as well as policies, procedures, guidelines, and other internal legislation.

Summary

OPCW respects your privacy and seeks to protect your Personal Data. The following information describes how we gather and use Personal Data:

  • We keep to a minimum the amount of information we hold about you.
  • We use your Personal Data to respond to your enquiries about our services, to send you other useful information, and to provide our services to you.
  • We apply appropriate security mechanisms to protect your Personal Data.

Our activities

We collect and update information in relation to your participation in our activities.  We may obtain this information via direct contact with you, from third parties, or automatically via your participation in our activities.

This information may include your contact details, identification details, support problems, details around participation in events and certain relevant details of your preferences.

We also collect and use your information to administer, support, improve and obtain feedback on our activities with you and to detect and prevent fraud, avoid faults and breaches, including breaches of our network security, or our contract terms. We may contact you to obtain feedback on your participation in our activities and any improvements we could make to it.

Our legitimate basis for Processing your Personal Data when you participate in our activities is that it is necessary for the performance of a contract or compliance with an obligation or undertaking by OPCW or is consistent with or reasonably necessary for the Secretariat to carry out its functions in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, decisions of the OPCW policy-making organs, as well as policies, procedures, guidelines, and other internal legislation.

Other activities

When you participate in an OPCW-financed event or seminar

We collect and update information about persons who take part in our events or seminars.  We may obtain this information via direct contact with you, from third parties such as other users or automatically via your use of our registration facilities. We may collect your name and contact details and, on some occasions, dietary requirements. If any of this Personal Data is special category data, we will endeavour to seek consent before Processing.

When you contact us

We collect your contact information and use it to respond to your questions and requests. We keep this information on our database and may use it to periodically inform you of additional useful information. We may also inform you of other related events, publications, or services unless you have requested that we do not do so.

When you apply for a vacant position

We will collect your name, address, contact details and any other Personal Data you supply to us via your cover letter, curriculum vitae, e-mail, or through an online platform. We may also subsequently collect proof of identification, references, and other related data.

When you participate in a procurement exercise including responding to a OPCW tender

We will collect contact details for the purposes of communication and invoicing. We may also collect identification or other relevant data. As part of a tender process, we may also collect from the bidder information on or references and/or CVs for experts or key personnel and capture this in any resulting contract.

When you attend OPCW premises

Our CCTV and building access and security systems and personnel may collect images and access details for the purposes of public health and security.

When we conduct research and provide or publish statistics

We may Process Personal Data for statistical and financial analysis for the formulation and validation of OPCW’s policies and projects and the publication of OPCW’s reports and research.

When we carry out other activities

In certain circumstances we may collect your contact details and any other Personal Data relevant to a specific task.

Access to your personal data

We apply role-based access to our core business systems. This means we work on a ‘need- to-know’ principle and only enable access for those within OPCW who have a legitimate business reason to access your Personal Data.

Transfer of your personal data

Without prejudice to OPCW’s privileges and immunities, OPCW may transfer relevant Personal Data about you to relevant legal, regulatory, administrative, or other authorities, provided that, under the circumstances, we satisfy ourselves that the third party affords appropriate protection for the personal data.

We never sell Personal Data.

Your rights

You have certain rights regarding OPCW’s processing of your Personal Data.

Right of information

We provide information about the Personal Data that we process in this Privacy Notice and elsewhere.

Right of access

You may request access to the Personal Data that we Process.

Right to accuracy and rectification

You may request that inaccurate Personal Data Processed by OPCW be corrected.

Right to objection

You may object to the Processing of your Personal Data in certain circumstances.

Right to erasure

You may have your Personal Data erased from our systems in certain circumstances.

Right to withdraw consent

Where OPCW uses consent as our legitimate basis to process your Personal Data, you may withdraw that consent.

Please note that these rights are not absolute, and, in some instances, we may need to contact you to explain why we cannot comply with a request.

Storage and retention

We keep your Personal Data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the relevant purposes set out in this Privacy Notice and in order to comply or demonstrate compliance with our legal obligations and applicable records retention schedules.

Where we can, and it is appropriate, we will minimise Personal Data or anonymise Personal Data to use for statistical, analytical, or reporting purposes. The length of time we retain your Personal Data for will differ depending on the nature of the Personal Data and what we do with it.

Consent

Where OPCW has used your consent to Process your Personal Data you can withdraw that consent at any time. This may impact our ability to provide the Processing activities previously consented to but will not impact any previous Processing activities that took place prior to the withdrawal.

Security

OPCW has standards governing information technology and security of Personal Data. OPCW uses industry standards to implement and maintain security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of Personal Data that we have collected from you.

Changes to this Privacy Notice

OPCW may update this Privacy Notice at any time. Changes to this Privacy Notice will be dated and will be effective from the date specified so that users are always aware of what Personal Data OPCW collects, how OPCW uses it, and under what circumstances OPCW discloses it.  You are advised to check OPCW’s Privacy Notice regularly for updates.

Privileges and immunities 

Nothing contained in this Privacy Notice shall be deemed a waiver, express or implied, of any privilege or immunity that OPCW may enjoy pursuant to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Agreement between the OPCW and the Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning the Headquarters of the OPCW, signed at The Hague on 22 May 1997, or any other agreement to which OPWC is party.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, please email OPCW Privacy.

Public Information Requests and Media Guidelines

The OPCW Technical Secretariat receives thousands of questions about its work each year. Before contacting OPCW Public Affairs, make sure you have identified all relevant information on the website. This remains a rich source of information about OPCW’s mission, structure, activities, and official documents. 

OPCW Public Affairs endeavours to be as open and accessible as possible in providing public and factual information on the activities of the OPCW Technical Secretariat. Due to the OPCW’s stringent confidentiality regime, some materials, information, and types of information are not available to the public or media.

Media representatives should submit all requests in writing through the Media Requests form.

Consider the following before submitting your request:

Speculation

OPCW Public Affairs cannot respond to speculative questions, and is only able to provide information that is both public and factual.

Governments

OPCW Public Affairs does not provide comments on any statements made by governments or representatives of governments.

Confidentiality

OPCW Public Affairs cannot share confidential information, including, but not limited to: details of State Party declarations, Designated Laboratories, confidential documents, personnel matters, and personal information relating to its current and former staff.

Violations of Policies and Procedures

OPCW Public Affairs does not respond to requests that encourage Secretariat staff to violate OPCW policies, rules, and procedures.

On-going Investigations

OPCW Public Affairs cannot release information about on-going investigations. This policy exists to preserve the integrity of the investigatory process and its results as well as to ensure the safety and security of OPCW experts and personnel involved. All parties are asked to respect the confidentiality parameters required for a rigorous and unimpeded investigation.

Hours of Operation

The Public Affairs Branch operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 Central European Time, except for holidays. Requests submitted outside of these hours will be reviewed the next working day.

Copyright

All rights reserved. None of the materials provided on this website may be used, reproduced or transmitted, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or the use of any information storage and retrieval system, except as provided for in the Terms and Conditions, above, without permission in writing from the OPCW, except for where otherwise noted. To request such permission and for further enquiries, contact OPCW Public Affairs.