The Organization

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is the international organization that was established in 1997 by the countries that have joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to make sure that the Convention works effectively and achieves its purpose.

Under the terms of the Convention, the OPCW undertakes many activities all over the world, including:

· working to convince those countries in the world that have not yet done so to join the Convention;

· checking and confirming the destruction of existing chemical weapons;

· monitoring certain activities in the chemical industry to reduce the risk of commercial chemicals being misused for weapons purposes by;

· providing assistance and protection to member countries if they are attacked or threatened with attack by chemical weapons, including by terrorists; and

· promoting international cooperation for the peaceful uses of chemistry.

The OPCW plays an important role in limiting the methods of war by getting rid of one of the most horrible weapons and working towards the complete elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.

The OPCW is an independent international organization, working in the interests of its Member States. The OPCW cooperates with the United Nations and has a staff of about 500 people, representing around 66 nationalities. Like the United Nations, the six official languages of the OPCW are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Currently, the OPCW spends just over 60 million Euros per year. All 151 member countries (as of 29 March 2003) contribute to the budget each year. Their payments are determined by the size of their economies. Big, rich countries pay the most, while some smaller and/or poorer countries pay as little as one thousandth of one percent of the budget.

OPCW

The Conference of the States Parties is the main organ of the OPCW and oversees the implementation of the Convention. It is composed of all member countries of the OPCW (151 as of 29 March 2003) and meets annually, or more often

The Executive Council is the main organ of the OPCW and is made up of the representatives of 41 member countries, who are elected by all other members to serve two-year terms. The Executive Council usually meets four times per year and makes the decisions that enable the OPCW to function.

The Secretariat assists the Conference and the Executive Council and has a staff of about 500 people. The Secretariat carries out the daily work of implementing the Convention, including the conduct of inspections, which are done by around 200 inspectors. It also helps member countries to implement the CWC at home.

Mission Statement of the Organization

for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Their mission is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention in order to achieve the OPCW's vision of a world both free of chemical weapons 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 and economic development.

To this end, they propose policies for the implementation of the Convention to the Member States of the OPCW and develop and deliver programs with and for them. These programs have four broad aims: to ensure a credible, transparent regime to verify the destruction of chemical weapons and prevent their re-emergence in any Member State, while also protecting legitimate national security and proprietary interests; to provide protection and assistance against chemical weapons; to encourage international cooperation in the 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 their approach. The first is the centrality of the Convention's multilateral character. The second is the equal application of the provisions of the Convention to all States Parties.