Chemical Weapons Convention UK National Authority
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) entered into force on 29 April 1997, and is the first arms-control treaty that works to introduce a verifiable ban on an entire class of weapons of mass destruction. It is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is based in The Hague.
DECC, as the UK CWC National Authority, is responsible for implementing the CWC throughout the UK, the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. Our powers to do this are contained in the Chemical Weapons Act 1996.
Under the CWC, a state party must submit detailed declarations on particular activities involving certain chemicals, and these declarations are subject to verification by OPCW inspectors. The UK’s export and import licensing procedures control the trade in those chemicals covered by the CWC.
Related regulations
Annual reports
The Chemical Weapons Act requires the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to prepare a report on its operation in each calendar year, and to present a copy to each House of Parliament.