SIPRI Chemical & Biological Warfare Studies – serie

This book addresses the technical, organizational and political aspects of the national implementation measures of the projected Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It is essential that individual potential states parties now undertake studies to present a detailed picture of the implications of their obligations under a CWC. Experts from several countries in the field of disarmament and from the chemical industry examine and review experiences gained from different areas of arms control and disarmament regulations, national legislation and regulations relevant to the operation of the National Authority in the framework of the projected Convention. The study presents a range of options and is aimed at helping states parties in the development of procedures required by the National Authority. A detailed analysis of their obligations as outlined in the current draft text of the Convention is also presented. This study attempts to stimulate the potential states parties to start a review of their own specific national implementation obligations. The book includes a bibliography, tables, and relevant documents.

Thirty specialists from different chemical industries, chemical warfare laboratories, and the Geneva negotiating forum, here confer on the problems associated with a comprehensive chemical warfare disarmament treaty.

Thirty specialists from different chemical industries, chemical warfare laboratories, and the Geneva negotiating forum, here confer on the problems associated with a comprehensive chemical warfare disarmament treaty.

This is the fifth annual review produced by SIPRI of developments in this field. Its standpoint is primarily that of arms control prospects, and its easy style and presentation makes it readily accessible to the lay reader.

Nicholas A. Sims, who has written extensively in the defence field, examines the nature and significance of international organization for a proposed Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the proposals for institutions with which the eventual body might be endowed, and prospects for the resolution of the remaining uncertainties concerning the structure of the international organization.He concludes with recommendations for organization, and the book includes appendices containing key documents and proposals.

The participants of the Second Review Conference of the parties to the Biological Weapons Convention agreed on instituting voluntary confidence-building measures (CBMs) to strengthen the Convention. For this book SIPRI has gathered together experts in the fields of disarmament, epidemiology, molecular genetics, and virology. They evaluate the extent to which these CBMs contribute to preventing or reducing the occurrence of ambiguities, doubts, and suspicions which might be raised about compliance with the BW convention, and how CBMs contribute to improving international co-operation in the field of peaceful biological activities.

In negotiations on the Chemical Weapons Convention delegates have addressed the question of how to verify compliance with those provisions which relate to the production and non-production of relevant chemicals. In order to facilitate the work of the negotiators, the Pugwash movement and SIPRI gave a group of fourteen scientific and other experts on the negotiations the task of analysing how the current Convention provisions would be applied to a specific chemical, thiodiglycol. This chemical can be used as a precursor to the chemical warfare agent, mustard gas. In eleven chapters and an annexe, the authors present their individual findings, illustrated with tables and figures. The steering committee of the project have provided summaries in introductory and concluding chapters. The particular problems of monitoring thiodiglycol production outlined may serve as a model for monitoring other chemicals which will be covered by the future Chemical Weapons Convention.

This volume is the first comprehensive analysis of a number of on-site test inspections which have been conducted in the chemical industry. These inspections were conducted in order to design and test the verification mechanisms for a future international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Conclusions are drawn from these experiences about the manner in which such inspection could be conducted in future, problems encountered in the inspection process are described, and suggestions are made how the verification system of the CWC might be finalized so as to function most efficiently. Information is also presented which will broaden understanding of how such inspections will be conducted, what their limits will be and how the concerns of the chemical industry can be addressed.

The Vaccines for Peace (VFP) programme is designed to counter reservations about the military misuse of research into vaccines. It focuses on vaccines developed to combat those pathogens and toxins which can be used as weapon agents. In Control of Dual-Threat Agents a range of experts from fields as diverse as biotechnology, vaccinology, international law, and diplomacy discuss the VFP programme.