Advances in science and technology. Maintaining the effectiveness of the Chemical Weapons Convention

A truly chemical weapons-free world can be achieved only with the active support and backing of the international scientific community. With input from the scientific and industrial communities, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was finalized in 1992 and entered into force in 1997. This paper provides a summary of the operations of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), describes some of the major challenges facing the Convention, and suggests ways in which scientific advances might be able to improve the implementation of the Convention.