"[1][2][3] The committee criticized Russia and the United States for not meeting the extended deadline for destruction of its chemical weapons, and noted that certain countries "are still not members".

The press release indicated that the OPCW was awarded the prize for "its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons".

The OPCW contributed to the UN mission investigating the use of chemical weapons in Ghouta[6] and its activities since 1 October entailed supervision of destruction activities, which followed the accession of Syria to the Chemical Weapons Convention (and its provisional application), OPCW Executive Council Decision EC-M-33/DEC.1.

The "Technical Secretariat" applies most of the activities mandated by the Council and is the body where most of the employees of the organisation work.

[14] OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü told reporters that he hoped his organisation's work would help "to achieve peace in that country [Syria] and end the suffering of its people.

[18] Pakistani politician Imran Khan called on the US and Russia to destroy their own chemical weapons.