Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons fr

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an international organisation which was created in 1997. It was established by the countries that joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to ensure 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 checking and confirming the destruction of existing chemical weapons and promoting international cooperation for the peaceful uses of chemistry.

The OPCW plays an important role in limiting the methods of warfare by working towards the complete elimination of chemical instruments used as "weapons of mass destruction". The OPCW is an independent international organisation, working in the interests of its Member States. The OPCW has its headquarters in The Hague and cooperates closely with the United Nations.