II. Chemical weapon arms control and disarmament

Chapter:

8. Reducing security threats from chemical and biological materials

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2014

Author(s):

John Hart, Peter Clevestig

Several factors raised the profile of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2013. In particular, the allegations of chemical weapon use in Syria and the inability of Syria and the UN Security Council to agree the mandate of the UN Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria (see section I above) heightened the political importance of and international attention given to the Third Review Conference of the CWC in April 2013 and the 18th Conference of the States Parties (CSP) in December. The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, attended the review conference, the first time that a Secretary-General had attended a CWC meeting of the states parties. He stated ‘All serious claims should be examined without delay, without conditions and without exception’.¹ The Secretary-General's visit signalled support and facilitated consultations on the verification modalities of the UN inspection mission and its ‘reach back’ support mechanisms (whereby people in the field are able to access national experts and organizational expertise for advice and other support)—many of which were provided by or through the OPCW. Finally, in December the OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize ‘for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons’.²