Systematic articlebyarticle commentary on this key international convention and its annexes, drawing on its negotiating history and implementation. The treaty is of unlimited duration and is far more comprehensive than the 1925 geneva protocol, which outlaws the use but not the possession of chemical weapons. Chemical industry box 2abanning chemical warfare chemical warfare has been a scourge of the 20th century. Describes the procedures for collection of samples, sample preparation, and analysis of cwcrelated chemicals. This convention, the english, russian, french, spanish and chinese texts of which are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the depositary governments. Chemical weapons convention cwc, international treaty that bans the use of chemical weapons in war and prohibits all development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or transfer of such weapons. It deals with analytical procedures that can be followed in wellequipped offsite laboratories designated laboratories, as well as the onsite analytical procedures that the opcw inspectors use in sample collection and preliminary analysis of the samples in field conditions. In modern warfare, chemical weapons were first used in world war i 191418, during which gas warfare inflicted more than one million of the casualties suffered by combatants in that conflict and killed an estimated 90,000. The acquisition of nuclear weapons was prohibited for nonnuclear weapon states nnws under the 1968 treaty on the. The united states was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the cwc, making it a state party. The cwc includes both ammunition and chemical dispersion equipment, in addition to the actual toxic chemicals, as chemical weapons.
As of february 2017, 192 nations have ratified the cwc. To save the mankind and the world from these deadly chemicals, an international treaty, known as chemical weapons convention cwc came into the existence in april 1997 234. Chemical weapons convention act 2000 national portal of. As of january 2016 the opcw reported that for all states parties. Chemical weapons convention negotiations overshadowed by concerns about nuclear war for much of the postworld war ii period, chemical weapons did not receive serious consideration again until 1968, when discussions on biological and chemical weapons started at the disarmament conference in geneva. The full name of the treaty is the convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction and it is administered by the organisation for the prohibition of chemical. Noncompliance with the chemical weapons convention lessons from and for iraq pdf report. Assembled chemical weapons alternatives public affairs at 410 30 64024 chemical weapons convention the chemical weapons convention, or cwc, is a multilateral arms control treaty which prohibits the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. Its main objective is the worldwide prohibition of chemical weapons and the complete destruction of all existing stockpiles of chemical weapons. Weapons,and on their destruction the chemical weapons convention, or cwc is a milestone agree ment. Chemical weapons means the following, together or separately. Chemical weapons convention ias abhiyan ii ias upsc exam. Considered a descendant of the 1925 geneva protocol which banned the use of chemical and biological.
Their chapters will further stimulate discussion of chemical disarmament and enhance detailed understanding of the international measures in order swiftly to achieve the conventions aims of a world freed of the threat posed by the use of chemicals as weapons. Developing, producing, acquiring, retaining or transferring chemical weapons using chemical weapons. The convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction the chemical weapons convention or cwc, is comprised of a preamble, 24 articles, and 3 annexes the annex on chemicals, the verification annex, and the confidentiality annex. During the intense and heated negotiations that led to this treaty, methods to monitor and verify compliance with the treaty, as well as penalties for noncompliance, were some of the more hotly debated topics. The international control mechanisms for these weapon systems that existed at the time differed considerably. This is the first treaty to provide a verifiable ban on an entire category of weapons of mass destruction and is monitored by the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons opcw3. The chemical weapons convention cwc at a glance arms. The convention also prohibits the use of riotcontrol agents as a method of warfare art. The chemical weapons convention a commentary edited by walter krutzsch, eric myjer, and ralf trapp oxford commentaries on international law. Countries having stockpiles of chemical weapons are required to.
The chemical weapons convention organisation for the. Information about the chemical weapons convention act, 2000 is given. The chemical weapons convention cwc is a multilateral disarmament and arms control treaty. Jun 16, 2018 the chemical weapons convention cwc is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors. Possession and programs past and present last updated.
Convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction. As soon as the first world war was over, chemical and bacteriological methods of warfare were condemned by public opinion, and in the 1925 geneva protocol. The cwc was adopted by the united nations conference on disarmament on september 3, 1992, and the. Discrete organic chemical annual past declaration guidance page 6 of 11 annexes to annual past declaration guidance notes for doc and psf chemicals annex a definitions the following definitions are from the chemical weapons convention and may differ slightly from their normal meaning within the chemical industry. This sipri fact sheet summarizes the process that led to conclusion of the convention. The chemical weapons convention aims to ban all activities associated with the use of toxic chemicals as a means of warfare. Convention on the prohibition of the development, production. Along with the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons npt and the biological weapons convention bwc, the cwc forms an important part of the international law supporting disarmament and nonproliferation concerning weapons of mass destruction. A comprehensive guide to the control of weapons of mass destruction. The chemical weapons convention cwc is an arms control treaty that outlaws the.
The chemical weapons convention cwc is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors. On april 29, 2007, the chemical weapons convention cwc marks the tenth anniversary of its entry into force. The chemical weapons convention cwc is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their destruction within a specified period of time. Destruction must be finished not later than 10 years after entry into force of the convention arts iv. The first chemicalwarfare agentchlorine gaswas introduced on the battlefield by germany in 1915 during world war 1. Duly certified copies of the convention shall be transmitted by the depositary governments to the governments of the signatory and acceding states. The chemical weapons convention and norm enforcement. Users can get details related to the act, its objectives, short title, application and commencement. Chemical weapons convention chemicals analysis wiley online. Discrete organic chemical is defined as any chemical belonging to the class of chemical compounds consisting of all compounds of carbon except for its oxides, sulfides and metal carbonates, identifiable by chemical name, by structural formula, if known, and by chemical abstracts service cas registry number, if assigned.
An act to give effect to the convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The august 20 sarin nerve agent attack on ghouta, which killed hundreds of syrian civilians, led to a russianu. A chemical weapon cw is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. Latest and breaking news on chemical weapons convention. The entry into force of the 1993 chemical weapons convention is unique in the history of arms control. The uk is one of 192 countries that have ratified the chemical weapons convention cwc, the first armscontrol treaty to introduce a verifiable ban on an entire. Looking at the mode of response and how it differed from the international reaction to other norm violations within the same conflict suggest that the the convention on the prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and on their destruction, often abbreviated as the chemical weapons convention cwc. According to the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons opcw, the term chemical weapon may also be applied to any toxic chemical or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action. Precise assessment of a states capabilities is difficult because most weapons of mass destruction wmd programs were, andor are, secret and cannot be independently assessed.
Furthermore, each state party to the convention undertakes to destroy. This disarmament agreement both bans an entire class of weapons and simultaneously addresses chemical weapon proliferation concerns. Conference of the states parties to the chemical weapons. Chemical weapon, any of several chemical compounds, usually toxic agents, that are intended to kill, injure, or incapacitate enemy personnel. Nov 30, 2016 the chemical weapons convention cwc is one of the most successful international agreements. A year later, formal negotiation of what became the biological weapons convention started in geneva based on a proposal submitted by the uk. With 192 states parties having committed to eliminating chemical weapons and preventing any return to chemical warfare, the convention has achieved nearuniversal status. March 2008 this chart summarizes data available from open sources.
Chemical weapons convention cwc is a universal nondiscriminatory, multilateral, disarmament treaty that bans the development, production, acquisition, transfer, use, stockpile or retain chemical weapons cw. Chemical weapons convention chronology march 15, 1962 the united states and the soviet union submit plans for general and complete disarmament to the eighteen nation disarmament committee which include provisions for eliminating chemical and biological weapons. Government of india notifications related to cwc 9 5. Pdf systematic articlebyarticle commentary on this key international convention and its annexes, drawing on its negotiating history and.