Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental body responsible for implementing and verifying compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the international treaty that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. The CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997, and the OPCW—headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands—oversees its global application. With 193 member states, the organisation works to ensure the permanent and verifiable elimination of chemical weapons worldwide.
Verification under the CWC involves the assessment of state declarations and a rigorous programme of onsite inspections. For its extensive role in advancing global chemical disarmament, the OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

History

The Hague was selected as the organisation’s headquarters following diplomatic efforts by the Dutch government. The OPCW’s main offices stand adjacent to the World Forum Convention Centre, where the annual Conference of the States Parties convenes. The headquarters building, an eight-storey semicircular structure designed by the American architect Gerhard Kallmann, was opened on 20 May 1998 by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. A public memorial at the rear of the building commemorates all victims of chemical weapons.
The first Director-General served only one year of his second term before being removed by a vote of member states in April 2002. This decision generated controversy, with claims that political pressure—particularly from the United States—had influenced the process. The International Labour Organization’s Administrative Tribunal later ruled the dismissal improper and awarded the Director-General compensation and legal costs.
In October 2013, the OPCW received the Nobel Peace Prize, with the Nobel Committee emphasising the centrality of the CWC in establishing a global taboo against the use of chemical weapons. The award followed the organisation’s involvement in overseeing the destruction of the Syrian government’s declared chemical arsenal after the Ghouta attacks. By September 2014, the OPCW had verified the destruction of approximately 97 per cent of Syria’s declared stockpile.
In 2014, the OPCW–The Hague Award was established to honour individuals and institutions contributing to a world free of chemical weapons. The prize is supported by funds from the Nobel award and financial contributions from the city of The Hague.
Subsequent developments have included:

• A 2018 decision expanding OPCW authority to attribute responsibility for chemical attacks, adopted despite Russian opposition.
• A 2019 unanimous vote by member states to add Novichok nerve agents to the CWC’s controlled substance lists, the first such amendment since the treaty’s inception.

Organisational Structure

The Chemical Weapons Convention outlines the OPCW’s institutional framework, which comprises:

• Conference of the States Parties (CSP): the principal decision-making body, meeting annually with each member state represented on an equal basis. Delegations typically include a state’s ambassador to the Netherlands. The CSP adopts budgets, oversees implementation and may approve measures concerning compliance.
• Executive Council (EC): consisting of 41 rotating member states elected for two-year terms, this body supervises the Technical Secretariat, oversees financial matters and makes recommendations to the CSP.
• Technical Secretariat (TS): the organisation’s administrative arm, responsible for inspections, verification activities and daily operations. Most OPCW staff serve within this division, including inspectors, analysts and scientific personnel.

Member contributions to the organisation’s budget are based on a modified United Nations assessment scale. The 2020 OPCW budget amounted to approximately €70.9 million.

Powers and Functions

The OPCW’s mandate includes several key powers:

• Verification of Chemical Weapons Destruction: Under the CWC’s verification regime, OPCW inspection teams monitor destruction facilities using onsite evaluations, surveillance systems and mass-balance accounting methods.
• Industry Inspections: The organisation conducts inspections of chemical production facilities to ensure compliance with declarations and to verify the absence of prohibited substances. Inspection frequency is determined by the classification of chemicals (Schedules 1, 2 or 3, or discrete organic chemicals).
  • Schedule 1 and 2 facilities undergo detailed mass-balance checks.
  • Schedule 3 and DOC facilities are inspected to confirm the absence of undeclared production of controlled chemicals.
  • Time limits vary: up to 96 hours for Schedule 2, and 24 hours for Schedule 3/DOC inspections.
  • Schedule 1 inspections have no time limit.
• Challenge Inspections: Any member state may request a challenge inspection of another state. Such requests can be blocked only by a three-quarters majority, preventing frivolous or politically motivated actions. Although no challenge inspection has occurred, the OPCW has supported United Nations investigations into alleged chemical weapon use, particularly in Syria.
• Attribution Powers: Following the 2018 vote, the OPCW may identify perpetrators in cases of confirmed chemical weapon use.
• Assistance in Domestic Investigations: Experts may be deployed to support states in analysing suspected crime scenes involving toxic chemicals.

Relations with the United Nations

The OPCW is not a specialised agency of the United Nations, but the two bodies cooperate as “related organisations”. A formal cooperation agreement was signed on 7 September 2000, enabling coordination on matters of policy, technical assistance, disarmament initiatives and field operations.