Chemical and Biological weapons

India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) advocated the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) saying that it is important to ensure its implementation in letter and spirit.

What are Chemical and Biological weapons?

• Chemical weapons are toxins or chemical substances deployed using various types of munitions such as artillery shells or grenades to harm, cause sensory irritation or deaths.
• Chemicals used in such weapons are chlorine, phosgene (causes suffocation), mustard gas (causes skin burns) etc.
• Biological weapons, on the other hand, are disease causing organism such as viruses, bacteria or other toxins produced and released deliberately to infect or cause death to humans.
• Diseases such as anthrax, smallpox, plague etc. can be spread using Biological weapons.

• In World War I, it is said that, about 1,24,000 tonnes of Chlorine, mustard and other chemical agents were used by both the sides resulting in the death of 90,000 troops and injuring many more.
• The Syrian government, in the year 2017, was accused of air dropping Sarine nerve gas on its civilian population during the on-going civil war. Though the government of Syria has refuted this accusation.
• Use of chemical weapons by Russia has also been cited.
  
  

  In the year 2018, the Russian government allegedly attempted assassination of former KGB officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter using chemical and life threatening nerve agent Novichok. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was said to have been targeted with chemical agent in the year 2020. Occurrence of both the above events is disputed by the Russian Government.

• At the time of World War 1, it is reported that Germany was involved in a secret program that aimed at infecting the horses and cattle of Allied armies with viruses.
  
  

  During the First World War, the warring countries were divided into allied and central powers. The Allied Countries consisted of US, UK, Russia, Japan and Italy. The Central Powers included Germany, Austria and Turkey.

• Documents have revealed that during the Second World War, Japan tested agents of biological warfare including bubonic plague, anthrax and typhus on human subjects and allied prisoners of wars.
• The United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Russia are also said to have studied the use of biological agents during World War II.
• At the time of Cold War, the Soviet Union had developed its biological weapons programme called
  
  

  This project was showcased as a civilian R&D programme for development of pharmaceuticals.

  
  

• For the prevention of the use of chemical weapons, the Geneva Protocol, was signed in 1925, under the auspices of League of Nations.
• This protocol came into force in the year
• It prohibited the use of Chemical and Biological Weapons in war.
• The above mentioned protocol though had several shortcomings, such as:
• It did not prohibit countries from developing, producing and possessing such weapons but only banned their use in war.
• It allowed use of these weapons by the member nations to the above protocol against non-member nations.
• Use of chemical weapons was not prohibited if done in retaliation of such attack.
• To tackle the above shortcoming new conventions were agreed upon.

The Biological Weapons Convention, 1972:

• At the Disarmaments Conference in Geneva, Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was negotiated and opened for signing in 1972.
• The above convention came into effect in 1975.
• It prohibited the “development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxic weapons.”
• The above convention also required:
• The signing countries to destroy their stockpiles of biological weapons
• To not transfer bioweapon technology to any other country
• Gave the right to countries to request the United Nations Security Council to investigate alleged breach of this convention and for countries to cooperate in investigations directed by the UNSC.
• States to meet for review conferences to check the effectiveness of the treaty and hold negotiations to make the convention even more effective.
• BWC though did not provide for a verification processe. it did not have a body to conduct visits or confirms whether the member parties had done any act in contravention to the provisions of the convention.

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), 1993:

• The abovementioned convention also has roots in the Geneva disarmament talks.
• It was opened for signing in the year 1993 and became operational in 1997.
• This Convention prohibits “the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by nations signing it.”
• 188 nations are signatory to this convention.
• The CWC has strict verification regime for certain chemicals and a compliance process.
• It also has clause related to Challenge Inspection.

Challenge Inspection: If a member to CWC doubts that any other country is not complying with the provision of the convention then it may ask for a surprise inspection.

Under this feature, member parties are committed to be open to inspection at anytime, anywhere, without having the right to refuse.

• CWC requires the countries to declare their stockpiles of chemical agents and weapons.
• CWC has created Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the monitoring the member states.

• OPCW is headquartered in Hague, Netherlands.
• Its most important function is to implement the provisions of CWC and ensure the destruction of chemical weapons.
• Its other functions include:
  • Preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons in any member country
  • Giving protection and assistance to member countries against chemical weapons
  • Encouraging international cooperation for peaceful use of chemistry.
  • It requires member countries to make laws criminalizing everything that is prohibited under the convention.