For a World Free of Chemical Weapons

Evolution of Chemical Weapons Convention

  • The Chemical Weapons Convention Act was enacted in 2000 to give effect to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction signed by the government on January 14, 1993.
  • It was enacted against the use of chemicals such as Sulphur Mustard Agent, Nitrogen Mustard, Phosgene oxide etc. as a potent weapon to incriminate destruction on the human beings.
  • The success of the Chemical Weapon Convention is the result of collaborative efforts of the States Parties, the chemical industry, the community of scientists and civil society, working in tandem with the OPCW.
  • The world faced daunting challenges with discovery of new toxic molecules, advancements in deployment and dissemination techniques and “emergence of non-state actors are among the important developments that call for greater vigilance and for renewing our efforts”.

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

  • The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their destruction within a specified period of time.
  • The CWC is implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is headquartered in The Hague. OPCW won the 2013 Nobel peace prize.
  • The CWC is open to all nations and currently has 193 states-parties. Israel has signed but has yet to ratify the convention.
  • Three states have neither signed nor ratified the convention are Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan.
  • The OPCW receives states-parties’ declarations detailing chemical weapons-related activities or materials and relevant industrial activities.
  • After receiving declarations, the OPCW inspects and monitors states-parties’ facilities and activities that are relevant to the convention, to ensure compliance.

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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