United Nations Committee on the Assignment of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Professor Larrinaga January 16, 2017 Course: Model United Nations History The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an autonomous international organization entered into into force in 1997. Although the organization came into being quite recently, negotiations on the prohibition of chemical weapons have taken place since the 19th century. Before the First World War, three agreements had been made regarding the restriction of the use of chemical weapons in warfare. Unfortunately these measures were violated during the First World War. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Following the atrocious events that occurred during this period, the Geneva Protocol of 1925 was adopted with the aim of banning certain methods of warfare, including chemical weapons. Subsequently, the international community would realize the importance of not only banning the use of chemical weapons during warfare, but also implementing measures regarding the development and stockpiling of these weapons. The Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee (ENDC), held in 1968, involved talks on chemical and biological weapons, leading to the entry into force of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in 1975. Although this Convention represented great progress towards the prohibition of chemical weapons, the post-BWC talks were specifically aimed at an international agreement on the prohibition of chemical weapons. These talks became even more important when, in later years, it was announced that Iraq had used chemical weapons during the war against Iran. Following a wave of motivation from the international community, including the United States and Soviet Russia, the talks on the prohibition of chemical weapons that had taken place at the Conference on Disarmament resulted in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 1992. The signatory states of the agreement the CWC 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 beginning of the OPCW. Purpose and Mandate The purpose of the OPCW is simple and direct: to eliminate chemical weapons. Specifically, it has the mandate to "implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to realize the OPCW's vision of a world free from chemical weapons and the threat of their use, and in which cooperation in the field of chemistry for peaceful purposes for all” (https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/mission/). To fulfill this mandate, the OPCW works in many different areas – The first of these areas is demilitarization The OPCW works to ensure the destruction of existing stockpiles of chemical weapons. The destruction of these weapons is a challenging process, because the OPCW wants to ensure that the mechanism used to destroy chemical weapons has the minimum negative effect on the population and on 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 given time, unless both for the purposes permitted by the Convention and within the jurisdiction of States. To ensure compliance with these obligations, the OPCW has a verification process that allows it to monitor each state's chemical activity. In case of non-compliance with the Arms Conventionchemicals, the OPCW has a mandate to take action against the offending state and to report violations to the larger authorities. international community (basic guidance). Furthermore, in the case of any related threats that “pose a threat to international peace and security”, the OPCW has the responsibility to inform the UN (Information Guide). - The third area of ​​the OPCW's mandate is to assist and protect member states that have been affected by chemical weapons. There are resources available to the OPCW to achieve this, such as the Voluntary Assistance Fund. With these resources, the OPCW is able to provide assistance to victims of chemical weapons, as well as train its member states to be 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/mission/). They act as a catalyst for discussion on the threat of chemical weapons, their development and possible solutions (basic guide). - The fifth aspect of their mandate is to promote effective implementation for Member States. This is achieved through the OPCW providing advice and support to Member States to help them implement the provisions of the Convention. - Finally, the final 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 its equal application to all States Parties” (Introductory Guide). The purpose of this goal is to promote greater international cooperation, ultimately leading to greater security. Jurisdiction and goals for the future The OPWC's jurisdiction extends to approximately 98% of the world's population (Basic 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” (Basic Guide). The ultimate goal for the future of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the elimination of all chemical weapons from the world and a complete halt to the creation and proliferation of chemical weapons (Basic Guide). By 2017, “approximately 95% of the declared stockpile of chemical weapons [were] destroyed, and a Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the OPCW in 2013 for its efforts to eliminate chemical weapons” (Basic Guide ). OPCW While its primary goal is to eliminate chemical weapons, it also works to adapt to emerging security threats that include the use of chemical weapons in terrorist attacks. Function within the United Nations system 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, charged with ensuring the implementation of the CWC. That said, the OPCW maintains a close and important partnership with the United Nations. This was notably expressed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, when he stated that: “The OPCW is a good friend and partner of the United Nations. As chemical weapons continue to pose a grave risk, cooperation between our two organizations has deepened enormously in recent years.” Furthermore, this close collaboration means that the OPCW works closely with the General Assembly and the UN Security Council in the most serious cases. The OPCW is made up of three subsidiary bodies; the Conference of States Parties, the Executive Council and theTechnical Secretariat (basic guide). The Conference of States Parties is responsible for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (Introductory Guide). Provides oversight of the Chemical Weapons Convention and monitors compliance with the treaty. Furthermore, it “oversees the activities of the Executive Council and the Secretariat”. Furthermore, it approves the budget and elects the Executive Council (basic leadership). The Executive Council has the mandate to “promote the effective implementation of and compliance with the CWC” (Introductory Guide). Furthermore, it approves “agreements between States Parties and the OPCW for implementation and verification activities […] and supervises compliance disputes by ordering States Parties to remedy a situation within a specified period of time” (Guide introductory). Finally, the Technical Secretariat is responsible for managing the day-to-day administrative process of the OPCW, including but not limited to “daily communications between the OPCW and member states, public relations, the preparation of budgets and reports, and the negotiation of verification with Member States and by conducting on-site inspections of chemical weapons storage and destruction facilities” (Information Guide). Membership and Voting Procedures All States Parties to the CWC are automatically members of the OPCW. This is guaranteed under Article VIII, paragraph 2 of the Convention. To become a State party to the Convention, that State must ratify it or become a party to it by accession. Once they officially become Members, states' membership has an unlimited duration. Each member state has one vote at the OPCW Conferences. Key resolutions and decisions - Georgia The OPCW is based on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, adopted in 1992 (information guide). According to this convention, member states were never under any obligation to “(a) develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or maintain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to any person; (b) Use chemical weapons; (c) engage in any military preparations for the use of chemical weapons; (d) Assist, encourage or induce, in any way, any person to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party by this Convention (https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/CWC/CWC_en.pdf). Furthermore, Member States are obliged to destroy all stockpiles of chemical weapons existing in its territory, regardless of whether they were produced by that State or not (https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/CWC/CWC_en .pdf). This Chemical Weapons Treaty forms the foundation 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 established the relationships and mandate of the OPCW and 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 inception and has actively contributed to the organization ever since. From a historical perspective, Sweden played an important role in the steps leading to the creation of the OPCW. In 1968, Sweden's influence led to the adoption of chemical and biological weapons on the agenda of the Eighteen Nations Disarmament Committee. These multilateral talks led to the drafting of the Biological Weapons Convention and paved the way for the Chemical Weapons Convention. More recently, the OPCW has actively researched and played a disarmament role in the Syrian civil war. Following the chemical attacks in Syria in 2013, the OPCW and the United Nations.