Nobel Peace prize for Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

In a surprising act by the Nobel Foundation it had declared Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Out of all the nominees the prize was given to the least expected. But in the Nobel foundation’s own words the prize was given to the one which is fulfilling the aspirations of the Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel that is the world free of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

The OPCW was found in 1997 as the custodian of the Convention on Chemical Weapons. Sixteen years since the organization is making the world free of chemical weapons that are a cause for the loss of human lives. Under the convention, 183 member countries have to comply with the disarmament of the chemical weapons. OPCW looks after the dismantling process and provides its technical and expert support. Currently it is working under the UN mandate to dismantle the huge stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria. This is the first time that the organization is called in to carry out such a huge task in very short period of time and also in a strife-torn country.

Though it may be seen as a political decision by the Nobel foundation, as the prize announcement for the OPCW came just after the beginning of their work in Syria, but it is a well deserved prize for the organization to its commitment for collective good of the humans. The organization’s mandate has to be followed by some big countries (especially US and Russia who are dragging their feet in dismantling their weapons) in eradicating their huge stockpile of chemical weapons. For its part India which is a member of the convention removed all its chemical weapons four years back. The Hague based organization has to focus more in upholding its mandate and not to fall into the wrong hands or pressurized by the stronger countries for the safer living of the human beings.