Palestinians joins OPCW

The PA took one more step toward de facto international recognition of statehood when it signed the Chemical Weapons Convention last week.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed the convention on May 17. He also signed onto membership in the UN Industrial Development Organization and the UN Conference on Trade and Development on May 14.

The Palestinian pursuit of membership in international bodies “strengthens the status of the state of Palestine” and allows it to “engage and work with the international community, especially on important issues such as the spread of chemical weapons, due to their threat to peace,” PA Foreign Ministry official Omar Awadallah told the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said on Wednesday it had recognized Palestine as the 193rd state to sign and ratify its convention.

“The State of Palestine deposited on 17 May 2018 its instrument of accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention with the secretary-general of the United Nations, the depositary of the convention. The convention will enter into force for the State of Palestine on 16 June 2018,” the OPCW said.

The organization oversees the global endeavor to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons. It claims that “over 96% of all chemical weapon stockpiles declared by possessor states have been destroyed under OPCW verification.”

Israel has signed the convention but is one of the few nations not to have ratified it. It is, therefore, not considered a party to the convention.