Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Logo of the OPCW
Member states of the OPCW (green)
Formation	29 April 1997[1]
Headquarters	The Hague, Netherlands
Coordinates	52°05′28″N 4°16′59″E / 52.091241°N 4.283193°E / 52.091241; 4.283193
Membership	193 member states (all states party to the CWC are automatically members. 4 UN Member States are non-members: Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan)
Official languages	Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Director General	Fernando Arias
Official organs	Conference of the States Parties Executive Council Technical Secretariat
Budget	€71.74 million/year (2021)
Staff	approximately 500[2]
Website	www.opcw.org

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member states, has its seat in The Hague, Netherlands; it oversees the global endeavour for the permanent and verifiable elimination of chemical weapons.

The organisation promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction. Verification consists both of evaluation of declarations by member states and onsite inspections.

The organisation was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize "for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons". Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjørn Jagland said, "The conventions and the work of the OPCW have defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law".