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The Geneva Protocol of 1925 (the Protocol) banned the use of chemical weapons. However, many states parties that signed the Protocol retained the right to use chemical weapons if they were used against them. The Convention removed this right and also introduced an extensive verification regime.
Chemical Weapons Convention [external link]
The Convention has three main aims:
Weapons and facilities must be completely destroyed by 29 April 2007 (states parties may agree to extend this by up to 5 years in extraordinary circumstances).
The Convention sets up the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.
As at October 2006, 180 states had either ratified or acceded to the Convention. As at October 2006, 14,314 metric tonnes of chemical weapon agents have been destroyed and over 2.5 million chemical weapon munitions/containers have been destroyed.
New Zealand is playing its part, through the G8 Global Partnership, to the chemical weapons destruction project at Shchuch’ye in Russia.
The Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention will be held from 7 to 18 April 2008. The Chairperson of the Working Group for the Second Review Conference has invited interested bodies outside the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to submit their views on the operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. You can find more details on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons website [external link].
The OPCW has three main parts:
The Convention allows "short-notice challenge" inspections by the OPCW where one state party complains of a breach of the Convention by another. It also provides for routine inspections and investigations of the alleged use of chemical weapons. Civilian chemical industries are open to inspection to ensure that:
The OPCW has, since the entry into force of the Convention, conducted over 2,500 inspections of chemicals sites in 76 Member States.
New Zealand has consistently supported the Convention and OPCW. The New Zealand parliament passed the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act 1996 before ratification of the Convention on 15 July of that year.
New Zealand was elected to the Executive Council for a two-year term from May 2004 by virtue of a rotation system.
New Zealand made a one-off voluntary contribution (EUR 10,000, NZ$25,000) to assist the OPCW as its new Director-General rebuilds the organisation. Rogelio Pfirter from Argentina is currently the Director General of the OPCW.
In addition to its membership of the Convention, New Zealand also participates in the Australia Group, an informal grouping of countries formed in 1985 to assist the screening of imports and exports initially of chemicals that can be used for chemical weapons. This screening has been extended to a range of chemical and biological weapons related "dual-use" items.
New Zealand implements the Convention through the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act 1996.
A number of chemicals produced or used for normal industrial, medical or research purposes can be used to produce chemical weapons. To provide assurance to the international community of compliance with the Convention, New Zealand is required as a member-state to:
The purpose of inspections is to verify that activities being carried out are consistent with the information declared for that facility. The OPCW has designed inspection procedures to ensure that commercially sensitive information is protected. New Zealand has 11 inspectable sites. All have now been inspected by the OPCW.
New Zealand’s involvement in the OPCW is covered by officials at the New Zealand Permanent Mission at the Hague.
