7.1 The Chemical Weapons Convention: An Overview

The framers of the CWC recognized the value of chemistry and chemicals to the world, and designed the CWC to promote the responsible use of chemicals. It deals with toxic chemicals, defined as “any chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals,” along with certain precursors to toxic chemicals.  Because such chemicals may have many peaceful and very valuable uses themselves, the CWC distinguishes the purposes for which the chemical is prepared, stored, traded or used.  It allows toxic chemicals to be used for industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical, or other peaceful purposes but prohibits other uses. The framers of the CWC also included schedules of about 50 chemicals that have already been developed as chemical weapons or could be readily converted to such weapons. The CWC does not prohibit these chemicals, as many of them are needed in chemical synthesis, or in such diverse areas of human activity as dying textiles or mining. The CWC merely keeps track of their production and use, and it provides for the inspection of institutions that manufacture them.

An important aspect of the CWC is the requirement that States Parties declare their stockpiles of chemical weapons and agree to destroy them completely within specified timeframes.  To date, about 12,000 metric tons have been destroyed.  The destruction processes are technically challenging and very expensive because of the variety of weapons and chemicals and the need to assure a high level of environmental and personal safety.

The CWC provides a framework for administering and enforcing its provisions via the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Inspectors from the OPCW verify the declarations of chemical weapons as well as their destruction through on-site inspection.

In addition, the OPCW provides technical assistance on chemical weapons disarmament for States Parties, helps them improve their protection against chemical weapons, and carries out programs to foster international cooperation in chemistry education, the exchange of scientific information and equipment for peaceful purposes, the promotion of peaceful chemical research, and the adoption of sound practices in chemical manufacturing.

OPCW has made possible the translation of these educational materials you are reading into five languages.