Norwegian Prime Minister congratulates the OPCW on the Nobel Peace Prize

“I congratulate this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW has achieved almost universal adherence to the ban on these weapons, which cause terrible human suffering,” said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

In its announcement of this year’s award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee highlights the fact that the OPCW and the Convention have defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law.

“This award will inspire further work to ensure that all countries join the ban on chemical weapons. The use of chemical weapons in Syria clearly demonstrates the need to keep up the unremitting effort to achieve this goal,” Mr Stoltenberg said. 

The OPCW has been working for years to destroy stockpiles of chemical weapons and ensure compliance with the ban on their use. The UN and the OPCW are currently engaged in the destruction of stockpiles of these weapons in Syria. 

“About 78 % of the world’s chemical weapons have already been destroyed. But it would only take one thousandth of the remaining stockpiles to cause the most terrible suffering,” said Mr Stoltenberg.

The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997 and 189 countries are now parties to the Convention.