Abstract
The presence of an international organisation—the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)—in the chemical weapons (CW) prohibition regime and a large number of norms, rules and procedures contained in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) leads to the preponderance of institutional power in the CW prohibition regime. The paper analyses its manifestation, and contestation by other forms of power, in four key areas of the OPCW’s activities—disarmament, non-proliferation, internalisation of regime provisions, as well as assistance and protection. The subsequent discussion of the Syrian Arab Republic’s accession to the CWC identifies some great power politics, and hence compulsory power, at work. The concluding section raises the question of potentially changing power relationships as the CW prohibition regime transitions to a world in which declared CW stockpiles will have been destroyed and the OPCW increasingly focus on preventing the re-emergence of CW.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbott, Kenneth W. and Duncan Snidal. 1998. Why States Act Through Formal International Organizations. Journal of Conflict Resolution 42(1): 3–32.
de Guttry, Andrea. 1998. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In The New Chemical Weapons Convention—Implementation and Prospects, ed. M. Bothe, N. Ronzitti, and A. Rosas, 118–151. The Hague: Kluwer Law International.
Islamic Republic of Iran. 2011. Statement by H. E. Kazem Gharib Abadi Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the Sixteenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties. Explanation of Vote on the Draft Decision on the Final Extended Deadline of 29 April 2012. Document C-16/NAT.13, The Hague, 1 December.
Kelle, Alexander .2002. The First CWC Review Conference: Taking stock and paving the way ahead. In Disarmament Forum, vol. 4, pp. 3–9.
Kelle, Alexander. 2004. Assessing the Effectiveness of Security Regimes: The Chemical Weapons Control Regime’s First 6 Years of Operation. International Politics 41(2): 221–242.
Kelle, Alexander. 2014. Prohibiting Chemical and Biological Weapons. Multilateral Regimes and Their Evolution. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Kenyon, Ian R. and Feakes, Daniel (eds) .2007. The Creation of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. A Case Study in the Birth of an Intergovernmental Organisation. The Hague: TMC Asser Press.
Krasner, Stephen D. 1982. Structural Causes and Regime Consequences: Regimes as Intervening Variables. International Organization 36(2): 185–205.
Mexico. 2011. Statement by Ambassador Jorge Lomónaco, Permanent Representative of Mexico at the Sixteenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties. Document C-16/NAT.23, The Hague, 28 November.
OPCW. 2003a. Report of the First Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (First Review Conference) 28 April–9 May 2003. Document RC-I/5, The Hague, 9 May.
OPCW. 2003b. Decision. Plan of Action Regarding the Implementation of Article VII Obligations. Document C-8/DEC.16, The Hague, 24 October.
OPCW. 2008. Report of the Second Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (Second Review Conference), 7–18 April 2008. Document RC-2/4, The Hague, 18 April.
OPCW. 2011. Decision. Final Extended Destruction Deadline of 29 April 2012. Document C-16/DEC.11, The Hague, 1 December.
OPCW. 2013a. Report of the Third Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, 8–19 April 2013. Document RC-3/3*, The Hague, 19 April.
OPCW. 2013b. Joint National Paper by the Russian Federation and the United States of America: Framework for the Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons, dated 14 September 2013. Document EC-M-33/NAT.1, The Hague, 17 September.
OPCW. 2013c. Decision: Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons. Document EC-M-33/DEC.1, The Hague, 27 September.
OPCW. 2013d. Decision: Detailed Requirements for the Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons and Syrian Chemical Weapons Production Facilities. Document EC-M-34/DEC.1, The Hague, 15 November.
OPCW. 2013e. Plan for the Destruction of the Syrian Chemical Weapons Outside the Territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. Document EC-M-36/DG.3, 15 December.
OPCW. 2014. Report of the OPCW on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction in 2013. Document C-19/4, The Hague, 3 December.
OPCW. 2015a. Note by the Technical Secretariat. The OPCW in 2025: Ensuring A World Free of Chemical Weapons. Document S/1252/2015, The Hague, 6 March.
OPCW. 2015b. Report of the OPCW on the Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction in 2014. Document C-20/4, The Hague, 4 December.
OPCW. 2015c. Status of Implementation of Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention as at 30 June 2015. Document EC-80/DG.8, The Hague, 31 August.
OPCW. 2015d. Disposal of effluents from neutralised Syrian chemical weapons completed. OPCW Press Release, The Hague, 17 June 2015. Accessed 18 December 2015, available at https://www.opcw.org/news/article/disposal-of-effluents-from-neutralised-syrian-chemical-weapons-completed/.
OPCW. 2015e. Note by the Director-General: Progress in the Elimination of the Syrian Chemical Weapons Programme. Document EC-81/DG.1, The Hague, 22 October.
OPCW. 2015f. Report of the Twentieth Session of the Conference of the States Parties, 30 November–4 December 2015. Document C-20/5, The Hague, 4 December.
OPCW. 2016a. Decision: Establishment of an Open-Ended Working Group on the Future Priorities of the OPCW. Document EC-82/DEC.2, The Hague, 14 July.
OPCW. 2016b. Note by the Technical Secretariat: Establishment of a Rapid Response Assistance Team. Document S/1381/2016, The Hague, 10 May.
OPCW. 2016c. Report by the Director-General: Conclusions on the Outcome of Consultations with the Syrian Arab Republic Regarding Its Chemical Weapons Declaration. Document EC-82/DG.18, The Hague, 6 July.
OPCW. 2016d. Decision: OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism Reports on Chemical Weapons Use in the Syrian Arab Republic. Document EC-83/DEC.5, The Hague, 11 November.
Price, Richard T. 1997. The Chemical Weapons Taboo. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Robinson, Julian P.P. 1998. The Negotiations on the Chemical Weapons Convention: A Historical Overview. In The New Chemical Weapons Convention—Implementation and Prospects, ed. M. Bothe, N. Ronzitti, and A. Rosas, 17–36. The Hague: Kluwer Law International.
SIPRI. 1971. The Problem of Chemical and Biological Warfare, Vol. IV: CB Disarmament Negotiations, 1920–1970. Stockholm: Almquist & Wiksel.
Switzerland. 2008a. Risk Assessment of the Different Types of Plant Sites/Facilities Under Article VI of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Document RC-2/NAT.11, The Hague: OPCW, 9 April.
Switzerland. 2008b. Assistance and Cooperation against Chemical Weapons. Document RC-2/NAT.10, The Hague: OPCW, 9 April.
Tabassi, Lisa, and Scott Spence. 2004. Improving CWC Implementation: The OPCW Action Plan. In Verification Yearbook 2004, ed. T. Findlay, 45–64. London: VERTIC.
Trapp, Ralf. 2007. The First Ten Years. In The Creation of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, ed. I. R. Kenyon, and D. Feakes, 261–289.
United Nations. 2013a. Secretary-General receives Syria’s formal accession to treaty banning chemical weapons, news item dated 14 September 2013. Accessed 8 December 2013 at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45852#.VnQUH_krLcs.
United Nations. 2013b. United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic: Report on the Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons in the Ghouta Area of Damascus on 21 August 2013, New York.
United Nations. 2013c. Resolution 2118 (2013) Adopted by the Security Council at its 7038th meeting, on 27 September 2013. Document S/RES/2118 (2013), New York.
United Nations. 2015a. Letter dated 25 February 2015 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. Document S/2015/138, New York, 25 February.
United Nations. 2015b. Letter dated 24 November 2015 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. Document S/2015/908, New York, 24 November.
United Nations. 2015c. Resolution 2235 (2015) Adopted by the Security Council at its 7501st meeting, on 7 August 2015. Document S/RES/2235 (2015), New York.
United Nations. 2016a. Letter dated 24 August 2016 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. Document S/2016/738, New York.
United Nations. 2016b. Letter dated 21 October 2016 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. Document S/2016/888, New York.
United States of America. 2013. Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons, Media Note, Department of State Office of the Spokesperson, 14 September 2013. Accessed 8 December 2013 at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/09/214247.htm.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and should not be construed to represent official positions of the OPCW or any of its organs or Member States.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kelle, A. Power in the chemical weapons prohibition regime and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Int Polit 55, 403–420 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41311-017-0083-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41311-017-0083-3