The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. Its full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.

The current agreement is administered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is often mistaken for being part of the UN, although it is independent of it.

Administration

Signed in 1993 and entered into force on April 29, 1997 the convention augments the Geneva Protocol of 1925 for chemical weapons and includes extensive verification measures such as on-site inspections. It does not, however, cover biological weapons. The convention is administered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which conducts inspection of military and industrial plants in all of the member nations as well as working with stockpile countries.

Controlled Substances

The convention distinguishes three classes of controlled substance^*, chemicals which can either be used as weapons themselves or used in the manufacture of weapons. The classification is based on the quantities of the substance produced commercially for legitimate purposes. Each class is split into Part A, which are chemicals that can be used directly as weapons, and Part B which are chemicals useful in the manufacture of chemical weapons.

• Schedule 1 chemicals have few, or no uses outside of chemical weapons. These may be produced or used for research, medical, pharmaceutical or chemical weapon defence testing purposes but production above 100 grams per year must be declared to the OPCW. A country is limited to possessing a maximum of 1 tonne of these materials. Examples are mustard and nerve agents, and substances which are solely used as precursor chemicals in their manufacture. A few of these chemicals have very small scale non-military applications, for example minute quantities of nitrogen mustard are used to treat certain cancers.

• Schedule 2 chemicals have legitimate small-scale applications. Manufacture must be declared and there are restrictions on export to countries which are not CWC signatories. An example is thiodiglycol which can be used in the manufacture of mustard agents, but is also used as a solvent in inks.

• Schedule 3 chemicals have large-scale uses apart from chemical weapons. Plants which manufacture of more than 30 tonnes per year must be declared and can be inspected, and there are restrictions on export to countries which are not CWC signatories. Examples of these substances are phosgene, which has been used as a chemical weapon but which is also a precursor in the manufacture of many legitimate organic compounds and triethanolamine, used in the manufacture of nitrogen mustard but also commonly used in toiletries and detergents.

The treaty also deals with carbon compounds called in the treaty Discrete organic chemicals^*. These are any carbon compounds apart from long chain polymers, oxides, sulfides and metal carbonates. The OPCW must be informed of, and can inspect, any plant producing (or expecting to produce) more than 200 tonnes per year, or 30 tonnes if the chemical contains phosphorus, sulfur or fluorine, unless the plant solely produces explosives or hydrocarbons.

Known Stockpiles (of Chemical Weapons)

As of 2005, there were six member countries which had declared stockpiles:

• United States
• Russia
• India
• Albania
• Libya
• A "state party", possibly South Korea

Iraq's chemical weapons were destroyed under a United Nations reduction programme.

Known Production Facilities (of Chemical Weapons)

Twelve countries declared chemical weapons production facilities:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• People's Republic of China
• France
• India
• Iran
• Japan
• Libya
• Russian Federation
• Serbia and Montenegro
• United Kingdom
• United States
• A "state party"

By the end of 2004, 47 of 64 declared facilities had been destroyed or converted to civilian uses.

World Stockpile

The total world declared stockpile of chemical weapons was about 58,939 tons in early 2006. A total of 71,373 tons have been declared to OPCW of which about 12,434 tons (17%) had been destroyed by January 2006. Several countries that are not members are suspected of having chemical weapons, especially Syria and North Korea while some member states (including Sudan and China) have been accused by others of failing to disclose their stockpiles.

Timeline

The treaty set up several steps with deadlines toward complete destruction of chemical weapons.

Current Progress

By 2004, 14% of known chemical weapons stockpiles had been destroyed worldwide, falling far short of the intended 45% goal. Furthermore, only 40% of countries had passed the required legislation to outlaw participation in chemical weapons production. All 64 known weapons production facilities were inactivated or destroyed. Albania, India, and "a state party", which together accounted for three percent of world stockpiles, had destroyed 0%, 39% and 29% of their weapons and were considered to be on track to meet the April 2007 deadline for total destruction.

The United States of America completed Phase II, and was granted an extension until December 2007 for the completion of Phase III. Over 80% of the chemical weapons destroyed in the world since the treaty came into force were destroyed in the U.S. Russia completed Phase I and received extensions on the remaining phases. Libya joined the convention a few months prior to this time, and had just commenced activities.

The United States' General Accounting Office has announced it does not expect Russia to reach 100% destruction until 2027, and the United States, 2014; both after the treaty's final deadline.

Financing

Financial support for the Albanian and Libyan programmes was provided by the United States. Russia received support from a number of nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada; some $2 billion given by 2004.

See also

Related International Law

• Biological Weapons Convention
• Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) specifically Incendiary Weapons David Charter, Michael Evans and Richard Beeston Phosphorus was used for Fallujah bombs, admits US in The Times November 17, 2005

Chemical Weapons

• Chemical Warfare
• Weapons of Mass Destruction

Restricted substances

• List of Schedule 1 substances (CWC)
• List of Schedule 2 substances (CWC)
• List of Schedule 3 substances (CWC)

References

• Chemical Weapons Convention: Full Text
• Chemical Weapons Convention: Ratifying Countries
• Annex on Chemicals, describing the schedules and the substances on them, OPCW website
• The Chemical Weapons Convention at a Glance, Arms Control Association
• Chemical Warfare Chemicals and Precursors, Chemlink Pty Ltd, Australia

Footnotes