OPCW Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Scheveningen, Niederlande

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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.

Our Goal

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.

The mission of the OPCW is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to achieve the OPCW’s vision of a world that is free of chemical weapons and of the threat of their use, and in which cooperation in chemistry for peaceful purposes for all is fostered. In doing this, our ultimate aim is to contribute to international security and stability, to general and complete disarmament, and to global economic development.

To this end, the Secretariat proposes policies for the implementation of the CWC to the Member States of the OPCW, and develops and delivers programmes with and for them. These programmes have four broad aims:

to ensure a credible and transparent regime for verifying the destruction of chemical weapons and to prevent their re-emergence, while protecting legitimate national security and proprietary interests;
to provide protection and assistance against chemical weapons;
to encourage international cooperation in peaceful uses of chemistry; and
to bring about universal membership of the OPCW by facilitating international cooperation and national capacity building.

Two fundamental principles underline our approach. The first is the centrality of the CWC’s multilateral character. The second is the equal application of the provisions of the CWC to all States Parties.

We do this with integrity, in an efficient, competent and cost-effective manner, and in a healthy working environment which recognises our legitimate interests and supports our development. All our work is guided and supported by the internal vision of our Organisation.