Encyclopedia > Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is not an agency of the United Nations. Some confuse it as a UN organization, but the OPCW makes it clear that it was established on the basis of the Chemical Weapons Convention: a convention that has no direct relationship with the United Nations. It is It is located in The Hague, The Netherlands. Its mission is to promote membership of the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty and to check, by inspections, that members are adhering to the provisions of the convention. It was established in 1997. In August 2005 one hundred and seventy states had ratified or acceded to the convention. Main articles: League of Nations and History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... Arms of The Hague The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: Den Haag, formerly also s-Gravenhage) is the administrative capital of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland of which it is also the capital. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Chemical Weapons Convention Opened for signature January 13, 1993 at Paris Entered into force April 29, 1997 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by 50 states and the convening of a Preperatory Commission Parties 170 The Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
In 2005, spokesman Peter Kaiser was publicly quoted questioning whether the use of white phosphorus in battle was legal under the Chemical Weapons Convention. He stated that if it had been used offensively against personnel in a manner that exploited the toxic or caustic properties of phosphorus, it would be forbidden. White phosphorus is a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus which has found extensive military application as an incendiary agent , smoke-screening agent, and as an antipersonnel flame compound capable of causing serious burns. ...
The Organisation for the Prohibition of ChemicalWeapons (OPCW) is an agency of the United Nations.
Its mission is to promote membership of the ChemicalWeapons Convention treaty and to check, by inspections, that members are adhering to the provisions of the convention.
If it is used in an offensive way, as some alleged the Pentagon did in Fallujah during the US-Iraqi offensive of Nov 8 2004, its chemical properties therefore used against personnel, it would be forbidden.
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