The OPCW: Disarmament and the Impact of Progress in Science and Technology
On 30 March 2023 INCIPE held the event entitled The OPCW: Disarmament and the Impact of Progress in Science and Technology. The session included the participation of Fernando Arias, Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who explained the work of this organisation to control or prohibit the use of chemical weapons in the world. The meeting was presented by the ambassador and secretary general of INCIPE, Manuel Alabart. The presentation was followed by a round of questions moderated by the director of INCIPE, Vicente Garrido.
Fernando Arias began by pointing out that the world is suffering a major deterioration in international security. He reviewed the history of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which came into force in 1997, marking a historic milestone in international law from the outset. A Convention that was all the more necessary because, for example, in the First World War, more than 100,000 tons of chemical agents had been used and more than 90,000 soldiers had died as a result. In these 26 years of the OPCW, the destruction of practically all the chemical arsenals declared by the Member States has been achieved, which has been recognised with the Nobel Peace Prize received in 2013.
The OPCW has 193 Member States, making it the most widely adhered to disarmament treaty. However, continued success is not guaranteed, as chemical weapons have been used in Iraq, Malaysia, the UK, Russia and Syria in recent years. Another important dossier is the war in Ukraine, where there are fears and threats of the use of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, in that country. The OPCW has a team monitoring the situation in Ukraine at all times.
For Fernando Arias, ensuring the prosecution of those responsible for the use of chemical weapons is a very important additional step in strengthening regulations against the use of these weapons. After the fall of the Berlin Wall there was an atmosphere of optimism and international openness with constructive positions in multilateral diplomacy. Since then, however, international cooperation has been greatly weakened. There is no doubt that the work done in these years is truly significant, but unfortunately, with the weapons destruction phase not yet fully over, the OPCW has already embarked on a new and difficult journey to face a new and difficult agenda. At a time like the present, when there are numerous tensions between the major states, and even scenarios of open warfare, most of the treaties relating to this matter are no longer in force or are not being implemented in practice.
Progress in science and technology in recent years has facilitated the development of new chemical agents, new possibilities for their use and new methods for their production. We must also consider that many armies have armed robots, drones and powerful computers with militarised software that can be used to effectively transport and disseminate highly dangerous chemical agents.
In addition, the chemical industry often makes completely legal use of so-called dual-use substances. These are used for peaceful purposes, but their employment must be strictly controlled from their production, creation, marketing, transport, storage and use, otherwise they can be stolen and used for illicit purposes such as terrorism. The OPCW’s new chemistry and technology centre, which will be inaugurated soon, responds to this need by providing a high-quality platform for joint scientific research with modern methods of laboratory analysis and training in various areas needed by the organisation’s inspectors.
In response to the questions raised, Fernando Arias states that 240 inspections are carried out each year in which he advises the chemical industry and investigates whether procedures are being followed to ensure that no dual-use chemicals end up in the hands of terrorists or unauthorised agents. At the same time, it advises on the use of safe methods that avoid accidents and do not affect the health of the people who are working with the substances. Fernando Arias maintains that the key to the OPCW’s work is adaptation. According to the Convention, the secretariat cannot send an inspection when it believes there has been a chemical weapons attack, only when a Member State requests it and it goes to the executive council. Terrorism is a concern, but it is up to states to implement national legislation and the treaty banning chemical weapons. If states do not adopt specialised legislation to implement the Convention, it cannot be implemented.
Universality is a priority, in line with what the Member States established. One of the constant objectives is the relationship with civil society and academia, and with the aforementioned chemistry and technology centre, the aim is to create a list of individuals and institutions willing to collaborate and participate in joint international cooperation programmes. In the next ten years, the great challenge for the OPCW is the development of science and technology, as well as facilitating the understanding among the most powerful States Parties. For his part, secretary general of INCIPE Manuel Alabart concludes by highlighting the OPCW’s efforts in Syria and Ukraine.
