List of parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention

Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention encompasses the states that have ratified or acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, a multilateral treaty outlawing the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. In addition, these states are members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Participation in the Chemical Weapons Convention
  Signed and ratified
  Acceded
  Signed but not ratified
  Non-signatory

On January 13, 1993, the Convention was opened for signature.[1] Fiji became the first state to ratify the Convention on January 20, 1993.[1] Pursuant to article 21 of the Convention, it entered into force on April 29, 1997, after it had been ratified by 65 states.[1] The Convention was closed for signature on the preceding day, and states that did not sign the Convention can now only accede to it. Pursuant to article 21 of the Convention, for states that ratify or accede to the Convention after this date, the Convention enters into force 30 days after their deposit of the instrument of ratification or accession.

A total of 197 states may become parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, including 193 United Nations member states, the Cook Islands, Niue, Palestine, and Vatican City. As of August 2022, 193 states have ratified or acceded to the Convention (most recently Palestine on 17 May 2018) and another state (Israel) has signed but not ratified the Convention.[1] Only Egypt, North Korea, and South Sudan have neither signed nor acceded to the Convention. All four states which are not parties are suspected of possessing chemical weapons.

Of the four non-parties, South Sudan stated in December 2017 that it "has all but concluded the process of joining the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons".[2] Ahmet Üzümcü, the Director-General of the OPCW, has stated that Egypt, Israel, and North Korea had "regional reasons" for not joining.[3][4] Egypt has promised to ratify the Convention if Israel, the only state in the Middle East that is believed to possess nuclear weapons, ratifies the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.[5][6][7] Israel, meanwhile, has stated that it will ratify the Convention if all other non-parties in the region (of which only Egypt remains) do so as well.[5][8] In addition, Israel has been reluctant to ratify due to an unwillingness to grant OPCW inspectors access to its military bases.[9] North Korea is thought to be unlikely to become a party for the foreseeable future.[10]

List of state parties

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State party[1] Signed Deposited Entered into force
  Afghanistan[11] 14 January 1993 24 September 2003 24 October 2003
  Albania 14 January 1993 11 May 1994 29 April 1997
  Algeria 13 January 1993 14 August 1995 29 April 1997
  Andorra 27 February 2003 29 March 2003
  Angola 16 September 2015 16 October 2015
  Antigua and Barbuda 29 August 2005 28 September 2005
  Argentina 13 January 1993 2 October 1995 29 April 1997
  Armenia 19 March 1993 27 January 1995 29 April 1997
  Australia 13 January 1993 6 May 1994 29 April 1997
  Austria 13 January 1993 17 August 1995 29 April 1997
  Azerbaijan 13 January 1993 29 February 2000 30 March 2000
  Bahamas, The 2 March 1994 23 April 2009 22 May 2009
  Bahrain 24 February 1993 28 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Bangladesh 14 January 1993 25 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Barbados 7 March 2007 6 April 2007
  Belarus 14 January 1993 11 July 1996 29 April 1997
  Belgium 13 January 1993 27 January 1997 29 April 1997
  Belize 1 December 2003 31 December 2003
  Benin 14 January 1993 14 May 1998 13 June 1998
  Bhutan 24 April 1997 18 August 2005 17 September 2005
  Bolivia 14 January 1993 14 August 1998 13 September 1998
  Bosnia and Herzegovina 16 January 1997 25 February 1997 29 April 1997
  Botswana 31 August 1998 30 September 1998
  Brazil 13 January 1993 13 March 1996 29 April 1997
  Brunei 13 January 1993 28 July 1997 27 August 1997
  Bulgaria 13 January 1993 10 August 1994 29 April 1997
  Burkina Faso 14 January 1993 8 July 1997 7 August 1997
  Burundi 15 January 1993 4 September 1998 4 October 1998
  Cape Verde 15 January 1993 10 October 2003 9 November 2003
  Cambodia 15 January 1993 19 July 2005 18 August 2005
  Cameroon 14 January 1993 16 September 1996 29 April 1997
  Canada 13 January 1993 26 September 1995 29 April 1997
  Central African Republic 14 January 1993 20 September 2006 20 October 2006
  Chad 11 October 1994 13 February 2004 14 March 2004
  Chile 14 January 1993 12 July 1996 29 April 1997
  China 13 January 1993 25 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Colombia 13 January 1993 5 April 2000 5 May 2000
  Comoros 13 January 1993 18 August 2006 17 September 2006
  Congo, Democratic Republic of the 14 January 1993 12 October 2005 11 November 2005
  Congo, Republic of the 15 January 1993 4 December 2007 3 January 2008
  Cook Islands 14 January 1993 15 July 1994 29 April 1997
  Costa Rica 14 January 1993 31 May 1996 29 April 1997
  Côte d'Ivoire 13 January 1993 18 December 1995 29 April 1997
  Croatia 13 January 1993 23 May 1995 29 April 1997
  Cuba 13 January 1993 29 April 1997 29 May 1997
  Cyprus 13 January 1993 28 August 1998 27 September 1998
  Czech Republic 14 January 1993 6 March 1996 29 April 1997
  Denmark 14 January 1993 13 July 1995 29 April 1997
  Djibouti 28 September 1993 25 January 2006 24 February 2006
  Dominica 2 August 1993 12 February 2001 14 March 2001
  Dominican Republic 13 January 1993 27 March 2009 26 April 2009
  East Timor 7 May 2003 6 June 2003
  Ecuador 14 January 1993 6 September 1995 29 April 1997
  El Salvador 14 January 1993 30 October 1995 29 April 1997
  Equatorial Guinea 14 January 1993 25 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Eritrea 14 February 2000 15 March 2000
  Estonia 14 January 1993 26 May 1999 25 June 1999
  Eswatini 23 September 1993 20 November 1996 29 April 1997
  Ethiopia 14 January 1993 13 May 1996 29 April 1997
  Fiji 14 January 1993 20 January 1993 29 April 1997
  Finland 14 January 1993 7 February 1995 29 April 1997
  France 13 January 1993 2 March 1995 29 April 1997
  Gabon 13 January 1993 8 September 2000 8 October 2000
  Gambia, The 13 January 1993 19 May 1998 18 June 1998
  Georgia 14 January 1993 27 November 1995 29 April 1997
  Germany 13 January 1993 12 August 1994 29 April 1997
  Ghana 14 January 1993 9 July 1997 8 August 1997
  Greece 13 January 1993 22 December 1994 29 April 1997
  Grenada 9 April 1997 3 June 2005 3 July 2005
  Guatemala 14 January 1993 12 February 2003 14 March 2003
  Guinea 14 January 1993 9 June 1997 9 July 1997
  Guinea-Bissau 14 January 1993 20 May 2008 19 June 2008
  Guyana 6 October 1993 12 September 1997 12 October 1997
  Haiti 14 January 1993 22 February 2006 24 March 2006
  Honduras 13 January 1993 29 August 2005 28 September 2005
  Hungary 13 January 1993 31 October 1996 29 April 1997
  Iceland 13 January 1993 28 April 1997 29 April 1997
  India 14 January 1993 3 September 1996 29 April 1997
  Indonesia 13 January 1993 12 November 1998 12 December 1998
  Iran 13 January 1993 3 November 1997 3 December 1997
  Iraq 13 January 2009 12 February 2009
  Ireland 14 January 1993 24 June 1996 29 April 1997
  Italy 13 January 1993 8 December 1995 29 April 1997
  Jamaica 18 April 1997 8 September 2000 8 October 2000
  Japan 13 January 1993 15 September 1995 29 April 1997
  Jordan 29 October 1997 28 November 1997
  Kazakhstan 14 January 1993 23 March 2000 22 April 2000
  Kenya 15 January 1993 25 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Kiribati 7 September 2000 7 October 2000
  Korea, South 14 January 1993 28 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Kuwait 27 January 1993 29 May 1997 28 June 1997
  Kyrgyzstan 22 February 1993 29 September 2003 29 October 2003
  Laos 13 May 1993 25 February 1997 29 April 1997
  Latvia 6 May 1993 23 July 1996 29 April 1997
  Lebanon 20 November 2008 20 December 2008
  Lesotho 7 December 1994 7 December 1994 29 April 1997
  Liberia 15 January 1993 23 February 2006 25 March 2006
  Libya 6 January 2004 5 February 2004
  Liechtenstein 21 July 1993 24 November 1999 24 December 1999
  Lithuania 13 January 1993 15 April 1998 15 May 1998
  Luxembourg 13 January 1993 15 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Madagascar 15 January 1993 20 October 2004 19 November 2004
  Malawi 14 January 1993 11 June 1998 11 July 1998
  Malaysia 13 January 1993 20 April 2000 20 May 2000
  Maldives 1 October 1993 31 May 1994 29 April 1997
  Mali 13 January 1993 28 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Malta 13 January 1993 28 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Marshall Islands 13 January 1993 19 May 2004 18 June 2004
  Mauritania 13 January 1993 9 February 1998 11 March 1998
  Mauritius 14 January 1993 9 February 1993 29 April 1997
  Micronesia 13 January 1993 21 June 1999 21 July 1999
  Mexico 13 January 1993 29 August 1994 29 April 1997
  Moldova 13 January 1993 8 July 1996 29 April 1997
  Monaco 13 January 1993 1 June 1995 29 April 1997
  Mongolia 14 January 1993 17 January 1995 29 April 1997
  Montenegro[A] 23 October 2006 3 June 2006
  Morocco 13 January 1993 28 December 1995 29 April 1997
  Mozambique 15 August 2000 14 September 2000
  Myanmar 14 January 1993 8 July 2015 7 August 2015
  Namibia 13 January 1993 27 November 1995 29 April 1997
  Nauru 13 January 1993 12 November 2001 12 December 2001
    Nepal 19 January 1993 18 November 1997 18 December 1997
  Netherlands[B] 14 January 1993 30 June 1995 29 April 1997
  New Zealand 14 January 1993 15 July 1996 29 April 1997
  Nicaragua 9 March 1993 5 November 1999 5 December 1999
  Niger 14 January 1993 9 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Nigeria 13 January 1993 20 May 1999 19 June 1999
  Niue 21 April 2005 21 May 2005
  North Macedonia 20 June 1997 20 July 1997
  Norway 13 January 1993 7 April 1994 29 April 1997
  Oman 2 February 1993 8 February 1995 29 April 1997
  Pakistan 13 January 1993 28 October 1997 27 November 1997
  Palau 3 February 2003 5 March 2003
  Panama 16 June 1993 7 October 1998 6 November 1998
  Palestine[C] 17 May 2018 16 June 2018
  Papua New Guinea 14 January 1993 17 April 1996 29 April 1997
  Paraguay 14 January 1993 1 December 1994 29 April 1997
  Peru 14 January 1993 20 July 1995 29 April 1997
  Philippines 13 January 1993 11 December 1996 29 April 1997
  Poland 13 January 1993 23 August 1995 29 April 1997
  Portugal 13 January 1993 10 September 1996 29 April 1997
  Qatar 1 February 1993 3 September 1997 3 October 1997
  Romania 13 January 1993 15 February 1995 29 April 1997
  Russia 13 January 1993 5 November 1997 5 December 1997
  Rwanda 17 May 1993 31 March 2004 30 April 2004
  Saint Kitts and Nevis 16 March 1994 21 May 2004 20 June 2004
  Saint Lucia 29 March 1993 9 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 20 September 1993 18 September 2002 18 October 2002
  Samoa 14 January 1993 27 September 2002 27 October 2002
  San Marino 13 January 1993 10 December 1999 9 January 2000
  São Tomé and Príncipe 9 September 2003 9 October 2003
  Saudi Arabia 20 January 1993 9 August 1996 29 April 1997
  Senegal 13 January 1993 20 July 1998 19 August 1998
  Serbia 20 April 2000 20 May 2000
  Seychelles 15 January 1993 7 April 1993 29 April 1997
  Sierra Leone 15 January 1993 30 September 2004 30 October 2004
  Singapore 14 January 1993 21 May 1997 20 June 1997
  Slovakia 14 January 1993 27 October 1995 29 April 1997
  Slovenia 14 January 1993 11 June 1997 11 July 1997
  Solomon Islands 23 September 2004 23 October 2004
  Somalia 29 May 2013 28 June 2013
  South Africa 14 January 1993 13 September 1995 29 April 1997
  Spain 13 January 1993 3 August 1994 29 April 1997
  Sri Lanka 14 January 1993 19 August 1994 29 April 1997
  Sudan 24 May 1999 23 June 1999
  Suriname 28 April 1997 28 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Sweden 13 January 1993 17 June 1993 29 April 1997
   Switzerland 14 January 1993 10 March 1995 29 April 1997
  Syria 14 September 2013 14 October 2013
  Tajikistan 14 January 1993 11 January 1995 29 April 1997
  Tanzania 25 February 1994 25 June 1998 25 July 1998
  Thailand 14 January 1993 10 December 2002 9 January 2003
  Togo 13 January 1993 23 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Tonga 29 May 2003 28 June 2003
  Trinidad and Tobago 24 June 1997 24 July 1997
  Tunisia 13 January 1993 15 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Turkey 14 January 1993 12 May 1997 11 June 1997
  Turkmenistan 12 October 1993 29 September 1994 29 April 1997
  Tuvalu 19 January 2004 18 February 2004
  Uganda 14 January 1993 30 November 2001 30 December 2001
  Ukraine 13 January 1993 16 October 1998 15 November 1998
  United Arab Emirates 2 February 1993 28 November 2000 28 December 2000
  United Kingdom[D] 13 January 1993 13 May 1996 29 April 1997
  United States 13 January 1993 25 April 1997 29 April 1997
  Uruguay 15 January 1993 6 October 1994 29 April 1997
  Uzbekistan 24 November 1995 23 July 1996 29 April 1997
  Vanuatu 16 September 2005 16 October 2005
  Vatican City 14 January 1993 12 May 1999 11 June 1999
  Venezuela 14 January 1993 3 December 1997 2 January 1998
  Vietnam 13 January 1993 30 September 1998 30 October 1998
  Yemen 8 February 1993 2 October 2000 1 November 2000
  Zambia 13 January 1993 9 February 2001 11 March 2001
  Zimbabwe 13 January 1993 25 April 1997 29 April 1997

States that have signed but not ratified

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Non-signatory states

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The following states are eligible to become parties to the Convention, but have not acceded to it.

States with limited recognition

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Montenegro succeeded to the Chemical Weapons Convention on 3 June 2006, the date of its independence from Serbia and Montenegro, per a declaration it sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which was received on 23 October 2006.
  2. ^ The Convention was extended to the Netherlands Antilles (now the Caribbean Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten) and Aruba on 28 April 1997.
  3. ^ Palestine originally submitted an instrument of accession to the Secretary-General of the United Nations depositary on 29 December 2017,[12] but subsequently notified the depositary of its withdrawal of this instrument on 8 January 2018.[13] Palestine resubmitted an instrument of accession on 17 May 2018.
  4. ^ The Convention was extended to Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Anguilla; Bermuda; the British Antarctic Territory; the British Indian Ocean Territory; the British Virgin Islands; the Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Guernsey; the Isle of Man; Jersey; Montserrat; the Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; and the Turks and Caicos Islands on 26 October 2005.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction". United Nations Treaty Collection. 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  2. ^ "South Sudan to Join Chemical Weapons Convention". Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  3. ^ "OPCW: three nations close to joining chemical weapons convention". Al Arabiya. Agence France-Presse. 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  4. ^ Eaves, Elisabeth (2014-10-09). "Ahmet Uzumcu: Getting rid of chemical weapons in Syria and beyond". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Archived from the original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  5. ^ a b Ravid, Barak (2013-09-12). "Israel adamant it won't ratify chemical arms treaty before hostile neighbors". Haaretz. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  6. ^ "Egypt refusing to sign WMD treaties". Jerusalem Post. 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  7. ^ Gulhane, Joel (2013-11-10). "Arab League discusses WMDs at Egypt's request". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  8. ^ Sanders, Edmund (2013-09-12). "Israel also facing questions about chemical weapons". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  9. ^ Melman, Yossi (2013-11-04). "Israel wouldn't dare use nerve gas. So why not destroy it?". i24NEWS. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  10. ^ "Chemical Weapons Control Isn't All About Syria". Bloomberg News. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  11. ^ "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan". OPCW. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  12. ^ "C.N.809.2017.TREATIES-XXVI.3" (PDF). Secretary-General of the United Nations. 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  13. ^ "C.N.5.2018.TREATIES-XXVI.3" (PDF). Secretary-General of the United Nations. 2018-01-08. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  14. ^ "Taiwan Fully Supports Chemical Weapons Convention". Financial Times. 2002-08-27.
  15. ^ "China Chemical Chronology" (PDF). Washington, D.C. United States: Nuclear Threat Initiative. June 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Taiwan Overview". Washington, D.C. United States: James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2024-09-14 – via Nuclear Threat Initiative.
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