Chemical Weapons Convention
international treaty banning chemical weapons
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control agreement which prohibits chemical weapons and chemical warfare. It is forbidden to make, store or use the weapons. Every country can become a part of it and most countries (188 in 2010) are. The full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (abbreviated OPCW) is the international organization which organizes the discussions and decisions on the convention. It also checks if member states follow the rules by inspections.
