Fourth Special Session of the Conference of States Parties
THE HAGUE, Netherlands —5 June 2018— The Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) met yesterday to address a request for convening a special session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP). The request for such a session was put forward by 11 countries.
The request received more than the required 64 concurrences from States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The special session of the CSP is scheduled to take place from 26 to 27 June at the World Forum in The Hague.
Background
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW oversees the global endeavour to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997 – and with its 192 States Parties – it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
Over 96% of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor States have been destroyed under OPCW verification. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.