Vol. 29 No. 4
July-August 2007

OPCW Academic Forum

18–19 September 2007, The Hague, Netherlands

The tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention was 29 April 2007, a date on which many nations publicly renewed commitment to the multilateral treaty system and to the objects of the convention. The CWC is the first disarmament treaty that verifies the total and permanent abolition and eradication of a particular kind of weapon of mass destruction: chemical weapons.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), created by the CWC as the world’s chemical weapons watchdog agency, has initiated a series of events to educate the public about the progress of the CWC. The Academic Forum is an integral part of the OPCW’s commemoration of the its tenth anniversary.

The Academic Forum aims to bring together leading academic experts, practitioners, diplomats, members of the media, and policy makers. The forum will examine the OPCW/CWC’s history, the political and technical challenges it is confronted with today, as well as its place and role in the global nonproliferation network. As such, the forum will contribute to the discussion of issues concerning (chemical) disarmaments and the role of the OPCW/CWC for the next decade. The forum will also discuss how the OPCW may adapt to the new security environment and changes occurring in the chemical industry, including new chemicals and processes.

The first day comprises a plenary keynote address by Jayantha Dhanapala, former UN under secretary general of disarmament, and Rolf Ekéus, high commissioner on national minorities at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and board member of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Concurrent sessions will be conducted, including panel discussions and workshops, on topics such as progress and challenges of eliminating CW stockpiles (as well as non-stockpile CW; the future of chemical weapons nonproliferation; the CWC and advances in science and technology; and the OPCW in a post-CW (almost) chemical-weapons-free world.

If you are interested in attending this event, please register by e-mail at <[email protected]>. For updates, information on speakers, relevant documents, and other information, please check the conference website.

www.opcwacademicforum.org