In 1993, the Chemical Weapons Convention banned all chemical weapons. However, the ban was not enforced until 1997. The OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), based in The Hague, is the international implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC or Convention). The OPCW’s mandate is to achieve the object and purpose of the Convention, to ensure the implementation of its provisions, including those for international verification of compliance, and to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among nations. The vast majority of countries in the world has either signed or ratified the Convention. Israel and Myanmar have signed the CWC, but did not ratify the Convention. Somalia, Angola, North Korea, Syria and Egypt still have to sign the Convention.
Most states having ratified the CWC, the use of chemical weapons by terrorist groups has become an issue that causes grave concern.