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Which activities involving chemical weapons does the Chemical Weapons Convention prohibit?
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American soldiers participating in a simulated gas attack exercise, World War I.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an international treaty that mandates total chemical weapons disarmament. It explicitly prohibits the following activities regarding chemical weapons:
- Use: The employment of chemical weapons in warfare is banned.12
- Development and Production: Signatory states are forbidden from creating or manufacturing these weapons.1
- Acquisition: Obtaining chemical weapons through any means is prohibited.1
- Stockpiling: States must not maintain stores of chemical weapons and are required to destroy existing stockpiles and production facilities.12
- Transfer: The movement or exchange of these weapons between parties is banned.12
Member states are required to enact national legislation to ensure that these prohibitions apply to all individuals and organizations within their jurisdiction. While the treaty prohibits the use of riot-control agents (such as tear gas) as a method of warfare, it does permit their use for strictly defined law-enforcement purposes. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons oversees compliance through rigorous inspection and verification procedures.12