Chemical Weapons and Its Use in Warfare

Introduction

Chemical weapons are designed to injure and eventually kill civilians and soldiers. These weapons have no mercy on innocent children, agriculture, and livestock, causing severe damage to the food sources of local people and leading to long-lasting effects. The use of chemical weapons dates back to 600 BC when water supplies were poisoned, continuing through to the recent 2017 chemical attack in Syria.

The Historical Context of Chemical Weapons

The first successful attempt to ban the usage of chemical weapons was made after the horrific scenes following World War I. The 1925 Geneva Protocol, signed by 196 states, prohibited "the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices." Despite banning their use, the 1925 document failed to address the production, storage, testing, and transfer of such forbidden weapons. The horrors of chemical warfare prompted these initial steps, but they were not comprehensive enough to ensure complete eradication.

Efforts Towards Disarmament

After World War II, numerous attempts were made to further the ban on chemical weapons. The most recent and successful effort is the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. The aim of the CWC is total chemical weapons disarmament. Signatory states must destroy all their chemical weapons and production facilities. As of January 2017, 69,059 of 72,524 (95%) metric tonnes of chemical agents have been verifiably destroyed. More than 57% (4.97 million) of chemical munitions and containers have been destroyed. Verification of the CWC is entrusted to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), headquartered in The Hague. Pursuant to the Convention, inspections are regularly conducted to verify compliance.

Spain's Role and Initiatives

The main principles of Spain, as a permanent member of the United Nations, are the protection of peace and stability, the promotion of human rights, and the creation of the necessary security conditions for the suitable development of people, institutions, and states. Spain is deeply concerned about the use of chemical weapons and has always affirmed the necessity of immediate disarmament. Spain was the first European Union country to sign and ratify the treaty in August 1994. On 13 May 1997, Spain established the National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (Spanish acronym: ANPAQ), tasked with managing the terms of this treaty (Royal Decree 663/1997).

Investments in new laboratories and research facilities have increased the analytical capacity of substances relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention. These analytical laboratories operate under the auspices of the CWC and a course coordinated by the OPCW and the Laboratory for the Verification of Chemical Weapons (LAVEMA). The new OPCW project was supported with a voluntary contribution from the Government of Spain. Spain also supported the destruction of Libyan chemical weapons in 2017. By 2018, Spain responded to the OPCW's request, providing manpower, technical assistance, and funding. The weapons were finally destroyed in Germany in 2018. This operation demonstrates Spain's commitment to international peace and security, as well as its willingness to collaborate with the international community towards a world free from chemical weapons.

Challenges and Future Directions

Even though the CWC has been relatively effective, the global community still faces significant challenges. One major issue is the inability to enforce its provisions over countries that have not yet ratified the treaty, including Egypt, North Korea, South Sudan, and Israel. Moreover, the CWC has failed to impose its provisions with respect to terrorist groups. Furthermore, the OPCW only has the power to issue sanctions after a violation is found but cannot authorize military force. In order to totally eliminate chemical weapons, the OPCW should reinforce the prohibition of the development, usage, and transfer of chemical weapons. It is crucial to compel all countries to ratify the Convention to ensure global peace.

Spain believes that inspections should be carried out more frequently, especially in the least stable regions, such as Syria. The CWC, along with the OPCW and the UN, should pressure regions that have not signed or ratified the CWC to avoid the devastating consequences seen during the World Wars and eliminate this abhorrent weapon of mass destruction, making the Earth more peaceful.

References

United Nations. (2012). Press Release: General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Chemical Weapons. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/press/en/2012/gadis3463.doc.htm

Linkie, M. (2000). The Defense Threat Reduction Agency: A Note on the United States’ Approach to Threat of Chemical and Biological Warfare. Journal of Contemporary Health Law & Policy, 16, 531-553.

Fitzgerald, K. J. (1997). The Chemical Weapons Convention: Inadequate Protection from Chemical Warfare. Suffolk Transnational Law Review, 20, 425-447.

Sewell, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from supra note 7, at 379.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. (n.d.). Laboratories in Latin America and Spain Increase Analytical Capacity of Substances Relevant to Chemical Weapons Convention. Retrieved from https://www.opcw.org/news/article/laboratories-in-latin-america-and-spain-increase-analytical-capacity-of-substances-relevant-to-chemical-weapons-convention/

Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Preventing Chemical Weapons Use in Syria. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/preventing-chemical-weapons-use-syria

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. (n.d.). Chemical Weapons Convention: Download the CWC. Retrieved from https://www.opcw.org/chemical-weapons-convention/download-the-cwc/

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain. (n.d.). Disarmament: Chemical Weapons. Retrieved from http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/PoliticaExteriorCooperacion/Desarme/Paginas/ArmasQuimicasBiologicasMinasAntipersonaBomasDeRacimo.aspx