Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The analytical strategy accepted in the laboratory designated by the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be discussed. 

Only in 1997 the Convention on chemical weapons took effect for 87 member-countries - initiators of the Convention. According to the Convention to perform the requirements was created the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) with headquarters in Hague. 

The Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is the sole iateinational authority to determine the compliance of States Parties regarding chemical weapons. Ae-cusations by States Parties against other States Parties in the absence of a determination of non-compliance by OPCW will seriously undermine the Convention and its repetition may make the Convention meaningless. 

This chapter includes four indices the Alphabetical index, the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers index, the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) numbers index, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons key (OPCW) numbers index. OPCW numbers are found in the "Handbook on Chemicals, version 2002," Appendix 2 in Declaration Handbook 2002 for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. OPCW numbers were developed to provide an easy method for tracking chemical warfare agents and precursors if CAS numbers were not available. 

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon. "Handbook on Chemicals, version 2002." In Declaration Handbook 2002 for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. Appendix 2. http //www.opcw.org/handbook/html/app2.html. 2004. 

Inspection Team Leader / Senior Medical Officer Inspectorate, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Johan de Wittlaan 32 2517 JR Den Haag. The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)70-416.31.74 Fax +31(0)70-306.35.35 E mail Clarence.Brown ,opcw.org... 

The authors gratefully acknowledge grants from the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, The Hague, The Netherlands, CONICET, ANPCyT and the Universidad de Buenos Aires. H. D. Chludil thanks FOMEC-UBA for a fellowship. M. S. M. and A M. S. are Research Members of the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET). 

The States Parties to the CWC have established the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW www.opcw.org) to achieve the object and purpose of the CWC, to ensure the implementation of its provisions, including those for international verification of compliance with it, and to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among States Parties (SPs). All SPs to the CWC... 

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, The Hague, The Netherlands... 

During the first session of the Preparatory Commission for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which was held between 8 and 12 February 1993 in The Hague, Working Group B was established with the task of drafting procedures for verification and technical cooperation and assistance . Up to the entry... 

Sampling and analysis (S A) during inspections is one of the verification tools provided for by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) (1). Chemical analysis of a sample is the only direct and scientific (and not only circumstantial) tool to confirm the presence of a chemical substance. The presence of a declared chemical in a declared place at a declared time and in declared quantities confirms the declaration provided by a State Party to the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons). The actual or past presence of a chemical, which should not be at the inspected site according to the declarations, or, which has... 

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) SOP-LAB-EQP-005, Bruker EM640S Portable GC/MS with AMDIS Data Analysis Software (Blinded Mode) for Qualitative Analyses of Liquid Samples Prepared by On-site Methods, Version 3, The Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, The Hague, 1999. 

The Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) provides a proficiency-testing scheme for the analysis of samples in the context of the CWC. The design of the scheme should simulate analysis of authentic samples that are taken during inspections. The purpose of the scheme is to select, certify, and train highly competent laboratories for the analysis of CWC-related chemicals in various matrices. The Technical Secretariat designates laboratories, which perform successfully in the scheme, to support it in such analysis should they become necessary during the course of its verification activities. 

The OPCW Central Analytical Database (OCAD) is compiled and maintained by the OPCW Laboratory and contains analytical data of the chemicals that fall under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) (1). States Parties (SPs) of the CWC and the OPCW (Organization for Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons) Laboratory submit analytical data for inclusion to the OCAD. These analytical data are peer reviewed by experts. Before the analytical data are included into the OCAD, they undergo a technical and political approval process. 

Seventeen States Parties (SP) have volunteered to provide services of their high-level chemical analytical laboratories to the Organization for prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW). From these SPs, 18 laboratories (2004) have been designated by the Director-General (DG) of the OPCW to perform analyses as part of the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) (1). For the purpose of effective implementation, for example, analysis of samples taken during inspections or... 

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