Thirty Years of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

This open-access volume consists of papers presented at the conference Thirty Years of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC): Histories, Achievements, Challenges, held in Berlin, 56 October 2023, as well as of additional contributions.

The volume's twenty-two individual chapters reflect on the history and achievements of the CWC over the past thirty years and explore existing and future challenges as the world realigns itself with a new geopolitical and security environment amid ongoing conflicts in volatile regions such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Highlights of the volume include:

• Contributions by government officials, renowned scholars, and esteemed members of civil society.
• A keynote address by the former Director General of the implementing agency of the CWC, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), providing insights into the treaty's evolution.
• A section examining the potential of the CWC as a model for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Provides fresh perspectives on where we are regarding the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention Examines current and forthcoming challenges amid the world's shift to a new geopolitical and security landscape This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Inhalt

Politics and Diplomacy: Perspectives on CWC, Opening Address.- Opening Remarks.- Keynote Address.- Remarks on Challenges to the Chemical Weapons Convention I.- Remarks on Challenges to the Chemical Weapons Convention II.- Histories of Chemical Weapons in the 20th Century: In Denial of the Horrors of Chemical Warfare: Expert Assessments of Chemical Weapons During and After World War One.- Coping with Crisis: Rumours, Science and Poison Warfare in Inter-War Europe.- 'Woe to You for Being a Grandchild': Mutations and the Ethical Case Against WMDs Among Post-War British Geneticists.- Participation of Civil Society in CWC Implementation: How Far We've Come: The Colorado Experience.- Civil Society Participation and Collaboration to Meet the Chemical, Weapons Convention Goals: How Far We Have Come?.- Voices from the Margins: The Unseen Impact of Chemical Weapons on Civilian Populations.- Voices from the Centre: A Mission to Destroy Chemical Weapon Stock-piles Worldwide.- CWC A Model for the Abolition of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): From Disarmament to Abolition: Learning to Maintain the CWC Model.- The Chemical Weapons Convention as a Model for Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention.- Compliance Management The Verification Dimension.- Preventing the Weaponization of Mid-Spectrum Agents as the Chemical, Life and Associated Sciences Converge.- Three Decades of Chemical Weapons Destruction: Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned.- Chemical Weapons and Terrorism: Ongoing and Future Challenges.- The Chemical Weapons Convention as a Tool in the Global Fight against Terrorism.- Defence Against Terror Weapons: Why Are Chemical Weapons Still Used and How Do We Defend Against Them?.- Information Warfare: The Power of Images: The Photographic Document: Aesthetics and Politics of Militarised Photographs.