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Prospects for the Effective Implementation of the Biological and the Chemical Weapons Conventions

Author(s): Martin Schütz, Heiner Staub
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication: Arms Control and Disarmament
Date of publication: 1999
From Page 73 to 101

Description: This essay describes the history behind the development and use of chemical weapons in the 20th century, and traces the steps taken to limit and ban their use. The essay also discusses the role and status of biological weapons, and the international efforts to prohibit their use. The authors describe how both the Biological Weapons Convention of 1975 and the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1992 have provided a successful global platform for eliminating the use of chemical and biological weapons, but that with both treaties some implementation problems remain. The authors assert that while there is little chance of chemical or biological weapons being used in conventional inter-state conflicts, because they are relatively cheap and easy to access they might prove attractive to terrorist groups or to rogue states with limited access to modern weaponry.

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	Prospects for the Effective Implementation of the Biological and the Chemical Weapons Conventions Author(s): Martin Schütz, Heiner Staub Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich Publication: Arms Control and Disarmament Date of publication: 1999 From Page 73 to 101 Description: This essay describes the history behind the development and use of chemical weapons in the 20th century, and traces the steps taken to limit and ban their use. The essay also discusses the role and status of biological weapons, and the international efforts to prohibit their use. The authors describe how both the Biological Weapons Convention of 1975 and the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1992 have provided a successful global platform for eliminating the use of chemical and biological weapons, but that with both treaties some implementation problems remain. The authors assert that while there is little chance of chemical or biological weapons being used in conventional inter-state conflicts, because they are relatively cheap and easy to access they might prove attractive to terrorist groups or to rogue states with limited access to modern weaponry. Download: other language ($language) - Download this document (102 KB)

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Prospects for the Effective Implementation of the Biological and the Chemical Weapons Conventions