Chemical weapons watchdog opens new lab as end nears for deadly munitions

The new chemical technology lab of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officially opened its doors on 12 May. The launch of the ChemTech Centre coincides with a historic milestone for the organisation that may now be just weeks away: the elimination of all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world. As the OPCW begins the next stage of its role as chemical weapons watchdog, these labs will provide the upgraded capabilities it needs to investigate alleged uses of chemical weapons and check that chemicals are being used for peaceful purposes.

The OPCW’s new ChemTech Centre just outside The Hague in the Netherlands was built with €33.5 million (£30 million) in contributions from members of the CWC and other donors, including from chemical societies. Construction of the centre began a year-and-a-half ago and it provides more modern and sophisticated facilities for the organisation. The centre will give the OPCW new scientific capabilities and the ability to train more personnel to keep up with a rapidly changing world. New challenges include the threat of non-state actors producing chemical weapons for indiscriminate attacks or countries attempting to use chemical weapons clandestinely. Other evolving threats include novel chemical weapons and the possibility of artificial intelligence being employed to create them. The centre will give the OPCW the opportunity to spend more time on chemical weapon forensics and checking up on the production of dual use chemicals that could potentially be employed militarily. This includes chemicals such as thiodiglycol, which is used by industry to produce pesticides, plastics and dyes, but can also be used to make mustard gas, or organophosphates that can be turned into nerve agents such as sarin.