Why are some toxic chemicals allowed under the Chemical Weapons Convention for peaceful or law-enforcement uses?

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) prohibits the development, production, and use of toxic chemicals as weapons of war, but it permits certain chemicals for peaceful or law-enforcement purposes to balance security needs with legitimate civilian and industrial activities.1

The treaty distinguishes between prohibited wartime use and permitted domestic applications based on the intended purpose of the chemical. Specifically:1

• Law Enforcement: Riot-control agents, such as tear gas, are banned as a "method of warfare" but are explicitly allowed for domestic police enforcement, such as controlling unruly crowds.21
• Peaceful Purposes: Chemicals are permitted for legitimate non-military activities, including industrial production, medical research, and testing chemical protection equipment.1
• Dual-Use Chemicals: Some substances, categorized under "Schedule 3," are dual-use chemicals. While they pose a risk to the aims of the CWC, they are produced worldwide in large quantities for essential commercial purposes and are therefore permitted under strict oversight.1

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) manages these distinctions through reporting requirements and rigorous inspection procedures to ensure that permitted chemicals are not diverted for prohibited military use.1