Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
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Overview
- News in Brief
- Outcome of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
- About the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
- Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
Why in the News?
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons holds Asia Meeting in New Delhi.
News in Brief
- 23rd Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia, organised by the OPCW and hosted by the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) of India.
- The meeting was attended by 38 delegates from 24 States Parties (countries) from the Asia region, along with officials from the OPCW and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD).
- This interaction fosters bilateral and regional cooperation and bolsters networks among National Authorities.
Outcome of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
- Delegates shared their experiences, discussed national implementation challenges, best practices, and opportunities for further cooperation.
- The sessions covered discussions on the legislative frameworks, chemical safety and security, the role of stakeholders, including the chemical industry and the use of Artificial Intelligence.
- The OPCW provided important updates on synergies between United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the CWC as well as discussions on future Mentorship Partnership Programmes.
- The 3 days Regional Meeting is expected to strengthen regional cooperation between Asian countries in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention.
About the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
- OPCW’s mission is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention to achieve our vision of a world free of chemical weapons and the threat of their use, and in which chemistry is used for peace, progress, and prosperity.
- 98% of the global population live under the protection of the Convention
- 100% of the chemical weapons stockpiles declared by possessor States have been verifiably destroyed
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, with its 193 Member States.
- It oversees the global endeavour to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons.
- India is an original signatory to the Convention.
- The National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) is the national authority responsible for implementing the Convention in India.
- In 2024, NACWC successfully mentored the Kenya National Authority under the OPCW Mentorship/ Partnership Programme to strengthen its implementation capacity.
- Indian Chemical Council (ICC), India’s oldest Chemical Industry Association works closely with the NACWC for reaching out to industry.
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
- Convention aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States Parties.
- States Parties, in turn, must take the steps necessary to enforce that prohibition in respect of persons (natural or legal) within their jurisdiction.
- All States Parties have agreed to chemically disarm by destroying any stockpiles of chemical weapons.
- States Parties have also agreed to create a verification regime for certain toxic chemicals and their precursors (listed in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 in the Annex on Chemicals).
- States Parties have committed themselves to the principle of ‘any time, anywhere’ inspections with no right of refusal.
National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) of India
- NACWC has been established under the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000.
- Aims for implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, signed on behalf of the Government of India at Paris on the 14th day of January, 1993.
- NACWC is an office in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India.
- To achieve managerial excellence, the National Authority will seek to be a leader in establishing best practices in all the key areas of its operations and management of knowledge relating to CWC.
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