Work

The development and use of chemical weapons first began during World War I. Even though the use of chemical weapons were prohibited in 1925 chemical weapons have since been used a number of times by both nations and terrorists. An international convention that also prohibited the manufacture and storage of chemical weapons came into effect in 1997. That same year, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was formed for international cooperation to ensure that the convention is honored through inspections and the destruction of chemical weapons.