Chemical weapons watchdog wins Nobel Peace Prize
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Oslo - An international organisation tasked with monitoring the destruction of chemical weapons was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Friday amid international efforts to rid Syria of the weapons.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was cited for "its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons," the Norwegian Nobel Committee citation said.
"Our award was aimed at putting the spotlight on efforts to rid the world of one category of weapons of mass destruction," committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said.
The award was also "a message to all who have not ratified the (Chemical Weapons) Convention and those who have not honoured their obligations to the convention," he said, adding that the United States and Russia "should speed up their work to destroy their arsenals." The organisation was created by the international convention that bans chemical weapons, which was adopted 20 years ago. The group is based in The Hague, and inspectors from the organisation are currently working in Syria.//DPA
