The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), prohibits the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is based in The Hague, is the governing body for the implementation of the Convention.
Malaysia signed the CWC on 13 january 1993 and ratified the Convention on 20 April 2000. The Convention entered into force in Malaysia on 20 May 2000.
As one of the State Party to the Convention, Malaysia is obliged to establish the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), which is responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the CWC in Malaysia and fulfilling its obligations under the Convention.
Malaysia’s accession to the Convention, among others, is to carry out the following roles and functions, including:
- Conduct inspections on chemical plants for verification purposes;
- Gather data to be reported in various declarations to the OPCW;
- Regulate and supervise issues and matters relating to the Convention;
- Issue endorsement with respect to the trade activities of CWC Scheduled Chemicals;
- Promote and facilitate national capacity building on chemical emergency response, and chemical safety and security; and
- Act as a liaison with the OPCW