CIAO DATE: 05/2014
March 2013
European Union Institute for Security Studies
The international community can be justifiably proud of the Chemical Weapons Convention. It has banned an entire category of weapons of mass destruction and provided for their verifiable elimination under international supervision. A small but effective intergovernmental organisation, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), has been created for this purpose. The Convention does not yet enjoy full universality but the overwhelming majority of UN member states have joined it. Major possessor states have declared their chemical weapons stockpiles and committed to destroy them under international verification. In spite of some delays, the destruction in all categories of chemical weapons (CW) has already been successful and is proceeding with focus and determination, in spite of the considerable costs involved.
Resource link: The future of the CWC in the post-destruction phase [PDF] - 863K