UPSC Prelims 2016 · Question 45 of 98

UPSC Prelims 2016 question on OPCW Chemical Weapons

With reference to ‘Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)’, consider the following statements:

1. It is an organization of European Union in working relation with NATO and WHO.

2. It monitors chemical industry to prevent new weapons from emerging.

3. It provides assistance and protection to States (Parties) against chemical weapons threats.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: B. 2 and 3 only

Verdict

The answer is 2 and 3 only. OPCW monitors the chemical industry and assists States against chemical weapons threats, but it is not a European Union body.

Analysis

Statement 1 is INCORRECT. The OPCW is a Hague based autonomous body working within the United Nations framework, established in 1997 by the Chemical Weapons Convention, and it has no European Union or NATO parentage. Statement 2 is CORRECT. Monitoring the chemical industry to prevent new weapons from emerging is one of the Convention's four key provisions. Statement 3 is CORRECT. Providing assistance and protection to States Parties against chemical weapons threats is another of those provisions, alongside destruction of existing stockpiles under international verification.

Source

The Hindu report on the OPCW and its Nobel citation.

How to crack it

Rejecting statement 1 alone removes three of the four options, so identify the institutional parentage claim first and test only that. A body created by a universal disarmament convention cannot belong to a regional bloc, since its verification powers must reach every State Party. Note the general rule: bodies with global inspection mandates are treaty bodies, not regional agencies, which also holds for the IAEA and the CTBTO.

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