Other organisations in The Hague

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)  was created under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons. The Convention is a global disarmament agreement that bans the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, and provides for the destruction of existing chemical weapons stockpiles and related facilities within a specific timeframe.

The Convention also regulates the production, processing, consumption and to some degree, the international transfer of toxic chemicals that can be converted into or used to produce chemical weapons. To this end, the OPCW monitors the chemical industry by various mechanisms.

The Executive Council of the OPCW considers any issues or matters within its competence affecting the Convention and its implementation, including concerns regarding compliance. New Zealand is currently serving a two-year term on the Executive Council, which will expire in May 2006.

Hague Conference on Private International Law

The Hague Conference on Private International Law  is an inter-governmental organisation with over 60 member states. The Hague Conference's mission is to work for the "progressive unification" of the rules of private international law, which can cover personal, family or commercial situations that are connected with more than one country.

Over the years, the Hague Conference has, in carrying out its mission, increasingly become a centre for international judicial and administrative co-operation in the area of private law, especially in the fields of protection of the family and children, of civil procedure and commercial law.