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

1. It is an organisation 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?

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

To understand why, let us carefully examine each statement about the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) one by one.

What is the OPCW?
The OPCW is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. It is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. Crucially, it is an independent, autonomous international organisation — not a body of the European Union (EU), NATO, or the World Health Organization (WHO).

Statement 1: "It is an organisation of European Union in working relation with NATO and WHO."

This statement is INCORRECT.
The OPCW is not an organisation of the European Union. It is an independent intergovernmental body established under the Chemical Weapons Convention, with 193 member states from across the globe — far beyond the scope of the EU. While the OPCW does maintain cooperative relationships with various international bodies, it operates under the United Nations framework (it has a relationship agreement with the UN) and is not structurally linked to NATO or WHO as described. Describing it as "an organisation of the European Union" is fundamentally and factually wrong. Hence, Statement 1 is false.

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

This statement is CORRECT.
One of the core mandates of the OPCW is the verification of the non-production of chemical weapons. Under the CWC, the OPCW conducts routine inspections of declared chemical industry sites (both civilian and military) to ensure that toxic chemicals are not being diverted for weapons purposes. This industrial monitoring is a critical preventive function — it ensures that legitimate chemical production does not serve as a cover for weapons development. The OPCW's inspectorate visits thousands of sites globally, making this a well-established and active pillar of the organisation's work. Hence, Statement 2 is true.

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

This statement is CORRECT.
Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention specifically deals with Assistance and Protection. The OPCW is mandated to provide assistance to any State Party that has been attacked or threatened by chemical weapons. This includes:
— Coordinating the delivery of emergency assistance and humanitarian aid.
— Helping states build their own national capabilities to respond to chemical incidents.
— Conducting training programmes and providing protective equipment to strengthen national preparedness.
This "assistance and protection" pillar is one of the three fundamental pillars of the CWC (alongside disarmament and non-proliferation/monitoring). Hence, Statement 3 is true.

Conclusion:
Statement 1 is incorrect because the OPCW is an independent international organisation — not an EU body. Statements 2 and 3 are both correct, as they accurately reflect two of the OPCW's core mandated functions: monitoring the chemical industry and providing assistance and protection to member states. Therefore, the correct answer is "2 and 3 only".