Sri Lanka signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on 14th January 1993 and ratified on 19th August 1994. The CWC Act 58 of 2007 for the implementation of the convention within Sri Lanka was passed by Parliament and it was amended as CWC Amended Act No. 1 of 2019.
The CWC is the common name for the convention on Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. The CWC is an international treaty, which seeks to eliminate this class of weapons in a verifiable manner. It primarily addresses national programmes and indirectly, the threat of Chemical Terrorism.
Sri Lanka including many countries throughout the world has companies and business involving toxic chemicals and its precursors in its productions in industrial, agricultural, research, medical and pharmaceutical and other peaceful purposes. Some of these chemicals can also be used to make Chemical Weapons. Since the existence of such Dual use chemicals, it is extremely necessary to monitor the activities of the industry related to such chemicals.
In order to fulfill obligations of CWC Sri Lanka shall establish a National Authority to serve as the National Focal Point for the effective liaison with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and other states parties. As per the CWC Amended Act, Ministry of Defence was designated as the National Authority for the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention at a national level.