CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

An Assessment

By

Itrat Zehra (Junior Associate Research Fellow)


Introduction

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a unique multilateral arms control treaty with stringent verification regime that bans the entire class of weapons of mass destruction. The convention is a product of 20 years of negotiations at the forum of Conference on Disarmament (CD) by the active involvement of Non-governmental organizations, global chemical industry (due to dual character of various chemicals) and statesmen. This multilateral cooperation mechanism is committed to general and complete disarmament and non-proliferation of chemical weapons, assistance to the victims of chemical warfare and boosting international cooperation among states parties in peaceful uses of chemistry.

For effective implementation of the convention and to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among states parties, Article VIII of the convention requires establishment of “Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons”. The organization was established in April 1997, soon after the entry into force of the convention. Seated in The Hague, the Netherlands, the OPCW is headed by Director General. Presently Mr. Ahmet Üzümcü of Turkey is the the DG OPCW. It has a staff of about 500, including some 200 inspectors trained and equipped to inspect military and industry facilities in member states throughout the world. The cost of activities carried out by OPCW in various member states is paid by states parties in accordance with UN scale of assessment.

Functions of OPCW

Since its creation, the organization has worked with great efficiency and at the same time has been trying to grapple with many of the challenges it faces. The OPCW has to perform four main functions:

  • Destroying both the chemical weapons and their means of production


  • Ensuring the non-proliferation of dual use chemical agents


  • Providing assistance and protection against the possible use of chemical weapons


  • Promoting the peaceful uses of chemistry


    • The Organization:

    OPCW consists of the following statutory organs:
  • The Conference of the States Parties


  • The Executive Council


  • The Technical Secretariat


    • The Conference of States Parties (CSP)

    It is the main policy making body of OPCW. It considers any question, matter or issue within the scope of convention. It has particular responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the convention and to promote its objective and purpose. It also reviews the compliance of states parties with the convention. It is composed of all the states parties of the convention and meets annually. Every five years a special session of the CSP is held to systematically review the operation of the convention, generally known as Review Conference. There have been two Review Conferences held since EIF of the convention. CSP also appoints the DG of OPCW and elects members of Executive Council.

    The Executive Council (EC)

    It is the executive organ of the OPCW. It is responsible to the Conference of the States Parties. It consists of 41 members elected by the Conference for Term of 2 Years. The EC is constituted on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, the importance of Chemical Industry, and political and security interests. The members of EC meet four times per year in regular sessions.

    The Technical Secretariat (TS)

    It assists the CSP and EC. It consists of various inspectors headed by the DG. It carries out the daily work of monitoring, verifying and facilitating implementation of the convention. The TS receives states parties’ declarations, detailing chemical weapons related activities or materials and relevant industrial activities. After receiving declarations, the TS inspect and monitor states parties’ facilities and activities that are relevant to the convention, aiming to ensure compliance.

    Subsidiary Bodies:

    The Convention also provides for the establishment of three subsidiary bodies to aid the three main organs of the OPCW in their work:

  • Scientific Advisory Board


  • Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Issues


  • Confidentiality Commission.


    • Successes:

    The OPCW has achived following successes since the enforcement of convention:

  • It has achieved the membership of 188 countries. Almost 98% of the global population is part of CWC regime.


  • 39,585, or 55.60%, of the world's declared stockpile of 71,194 metric tonnes of chemical agent have been destroyed.


  • 3.93, or 45.33%, of the 8.67 million chemical munitions and containers have been destroyed.


  • 3,917 inspections have taken place at 195 chemical weapon-related and 1,103 industrial sites on the territory of 81 States Parties since April 1997.


  • Worldwide, 5,032 industrial facilities are liable to inspection.


    • Challenges:

    The stunning performance of the OPCW notwithstanding, the organization also faces certain challenges. The most acute of them, bring the likely failure to meet the deadline of 2012 (as defined by the CWC) for the destruction of all existing chemical weapons. As mentioned earlier, the OPCW has successfully administered the destruction of 43% of the existing chemical weapons during the past 12 years. This means that the remaining 57% of weapons will have to be destroyed in a period of just three years which is but unlikely. The second pressing challenge for the OPCW is to achieve universal adherence to the CWC without which the goal of a total ban on chemical weapons cannot be achieved. Seven countries still remain outside the CWC. Those are Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, Angola, North Korea, Somalia and Syria. The 2nd Review Conference on the CWC held in April 2008 strongly urged these states to accede to the Convention at the earliest possible time without any preconditions. It is therefore necessary that the OPCW continues to raise this issue with those countries.

    Lastly, due to tremendous advancement in science and technologies, there are various discoveries in the field of chemistry which are not included in three schedules of chemicals of the convention. Also there is no mechanism given in the convention to address the issue of such new discoveries.

    Conclusion:

    Since its creation, the OPCW has done considerable work to eliminate Chemical Weapons from the face of the earth. The non-discriminatory nature and consensus building decision making structure of the organization has contributed to the success of OPCW. The OPCW has also done considerable work in the area of assistance and protection, by both preparing countries to respond in case they come under a chemical attack and also preparing its own emergency response teams. The organization has done all the necessary work to mobilize teams for medical assistance, detection, decontamination and providing necessary infrastructure for assistance operations in case of need. But as discussed earlier, it faces the challenges of meeting the deadline of destruction of all the chemical weapons until 2012. OPCW must find a mechanism with the help of US and Russia to meet the deadlines for destruction of their stockpiles for effective implementation of convention.