Mission of the United Nations Committee Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Professor Larrinaga January 16, 2017 Course: United Nations History Model The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an autonomous international organization that came into force in 1997. Although the organization was born fairly recently, talks on banning chemical weapons have taken place since the 19th century. Before World War I, three agreements had been drawn up regarding a restriction on the use of chemical weapons in war. Unfortunately, these measures were violated during the First World War. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Following the atrocious events that took place at that time, the Geneva Protocol of 1925 was adopted with the aim to prohibit certain methods of warfare, notably chemical weapons. Subsequently, the international community would understand the importance of not only prohibiting the use of chemical weapons in war, but also implementing measures regarding the development and stockpiling of these weapons. The Eighteen Nations Disarmament Committee (ENDC), which met in 1968, involved discussions on chemical and biological weapons, which led to the entry into force of the Biological Weapons Convention ( CAB) in 1975. Although this Convention represented great progress toward banning chemical weapons, the negotiations that followed the CAB were specifically aimed at reaching an international agreement on the ban on chemical weapons. These discussions became even more important when it was announced in later years that Iraq had used chemical weapons during the war against Iran. Following a surge of motivation from the international community, notably the United States and Soviet Russia, the negotiations on the ban on chemical weapons which took place during the Conference on Disarmament crystallized in the Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC) in 1992. States signatories to the CIAC also approved the Paris Resolution, creating the Preparatory Commission, which would pave the way for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The Preparatory Commission existed from the Paris Resolution until the entry into force of the CWC in 1997, which also marked the official beginnings of the OPCW. Objective and mandate The objective of the OPCW is simple and straightforward: to eliminate chemical weapons. More specifically, its mandate is to “implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to realize the OPCW vision of a world free of chemical weapons and the threat of their use, and in which cooperation in chemistry for peaceful purposes for all is promoted” (https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/mission/). In order to fulfill this mandate, the OPCW works in many different areas. – The first of these areas is demilitarization. The OPCW strives to ensure the destruction of existing stockpiles of chemical weapons. The destruction of these weapons is a tedious process, as the OPCW wants to ensure that the mechanism used to destroy chemical weapons has the least negative effects on the population as well as the environment. - The second area of ​​the OPCW's mandate is to work to limit and stop the proliferation of chemical weapons. This means that states parties to the CWC are not permitted to develop or use chemical weapons at any time, except for purposes authorized by the Convention and within the jurisdiction of the states. In order to guarantee compliance withthese obligations, the OPCW has a verification process that allows it to monitor the chemical activity of each State. In the event of non-compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW has the mandate to take action against the offending state and report violations to the wider international community (Reference Guide). Additionally, in the case of any related threat that “poses a threat to international peace and security,” the OPCW has the responsibility to inform the UN (Reference Guide). - The third area of ​​the OPCW's mandate is to assist and protect Member States that have been affected by chemical weapons. The OPCW has resources to achieve this goal, such as the Voluntary Assistance Fund. With these resources, the OPCW is able to provide assistance to victims of chemical weapons and train its member states so that they are well equipped in the event of a chemical explosion. - The fourth aspect of the OPCW mandate is to strengthen international cooperation, promote progress and development in the field of “chemistry for peaceful purposes” (https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw /assignment/). They function as a catalyst for discussion on the threat of chemical weapons, their development and possible solutions (reference guide). - The fifth aspect of their mandate is to promote effective implementation for Member States. This objective is achieved through the OPCW providing advice and support to Member States to help them implement the provisions of the Convention. - Finally, the last aspect of their mandate is to work towards universal accession to the Convention. Their vision is defined as “the multilateral character of the CWC and the equal application of the CWC to all States Parties” (Reference Guide). The aim of this objective is to promote greater international cooperation, ultimately leading to greater security. Jurisdiction and Goals for the Future The jurisdiction of the OPWC extends to approximately 98% of the world's population (reference guide). The only states that are not members of the OPCW are _______. Furthermore, the jurisdiction of the OPCW extends to “facilitate, approve… and verify agreements between States Parties and the OPCW; inspect chemical weapons production, storage and destruction facilities; and resolve complaints of non-compliance” (Reference Guide). The ultimate goal for the future of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is to eliminate all chemical weapons from the world and to completely end the creation and proliferation of chemical weapons (Reference Guide) . As of 2017, “approximately 95% of declared stockpiles of chemical weapons [have been] destroyed and a Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the OPCW in 2013 for its efforts to eliminate chemical weapons” (Reference Guide) . The OPCW Although its primary goal is to eliminate chemical weapons, it also works to adapt to emerging security threats, including the use of chemical weapons in terrorist attacks. Function within the United Nations system In order to understand the role of the OPCW in the international community, we must understand how this organization functions within the United Nations (UN) system. The OPCW is above all an independent international organization, responsible for ensuring the application of the CWC. That being said, the OPCW maintains a close and important partnership with the United Nations. This was expressed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he said: “The OPCW is a good friend and partner of the United Nations. While chemical weapons continue to pose a serious risk, cooperation between our two organizations has deepened significantly in recent years.” Moreover,This close partnership involves the OPCW working closely with the General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council in the most serious cases. The OPCW is composed of three subsidiary bodies: the Conference of States Parties, the Executive Council and the Technical Secretariat (Reference Guide). The Conference of States Parties is responsible for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (Reference Guide). It provides oversight of the Chemical Weapons Convention and monitors compliance with the treaty. In addition, he “supervises the activities of the Executive Council and the Secretariat”. In addition, he approves the budget and elects the Executive Council (reference guide). The Executive Council has the mandate to “promote the effective implementation of and compliance with the CIAC” (Reference Guide). Additionally, it approves "agreements between States Parties and the OPCW for implementation and verification activities [...] and oversees disputes related to non-compliance by ordering States Parties to remedy a situation within a given time frame” (Reference Guide). Finally, the Technical Secretariat is responsible for managing the daily administrative process of the OPCW, including, but not limited to, "daily communications between the OPCW and Member States, public relations, budget drafting and reporting, and the negotiation of verification agreements with Member States. and conduct on-site inspections of chemical weapons storage and destruction facilities” (Basic Guide). Membership and Voting Procedures All States Parties to the CIAC are automatically members of the OPCW. This is guaranteed in accordance with Article VIII (2) of the Convention. To become a State party to the Convention, the said State must ratify it or become a party by its accession. Once officially become a member, the membership of States is unlimited in time. Each member state has one vote at OPCW conferences. Key Resolutions and Decisions - Georgia The OPCW was founded on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and their Destruction, adopted in 1992 (guide to reference). Under this convention, member states were never obligated to “(a) develop, produce, acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to any person; (b) Use chemical weapons; c) Engage in military preparations aimed at using chemical weapons; (d) Assist, encourage or induce, in any manner, any person to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention (https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/CWC /CWC_en.pdf). Furthermore, Member States are required to destroy all existing stockpiles of chemical weapons on their territory, whether or not they were produced by that State (https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/CWC/ CWC_en.pdf). This chemical weapons treaty forms the basis on which the IOCW rests and is the most important resolution in the history of the organization. Another important resolution was adopted in September 2001 with United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 55/283, which defined the relationship and mandate of the OPCW, as well as how it would report to the General Assembly. Additionally, this resolution focused on how the OPCW would ensure fair representation. Main Dynamics Sweden has been a Member State of the OPCW since its establishment and has actively contributed to the organization since then. Historically, Sweden played an important role in the steps leading to the creation of the OPCW. In 1968, Swedish influence led to the adoption of chemical and biological weapons on the agenda of the eighteen-nation Disarmament Committee. These.