Preventing Chemical Weapons: Arms Control and Disarmament as the Sciences Converge

The life and chemical sciences are in the midst of a period of rapid and revolutionary transformation that will undoubtedly bring societal benefits but also have potentially malign applications, notably in the development of chemical weapons. Such concerns are exacerbated by the unstable international security environment and the changing nature of armed conflict, which could fuel a desire by certain States to retain and use existing chemical weapons, as well as increase State interest in creating new weapons; whilst a broader range of actors may seek to employ diverse toxic chemicals as improvised weapons. Stark indications of the multi-faceted dangers we face can be seen in the chemical weapons attacks against civilians and combatants in Iraq and Syria, and also in more targeted chemical assassination operations in Malaysia and the UK. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, and drawing upon an international group of experts, this book analyses current and likely near-future advances in relevant science and technology, assessing the risks of their misuse. The book examines the current capabilities, limitations and failures of the existing international arms control and disarmament architecture – notably the Chemical Weapons Convention – in preventing the development and use of chemical weapons. Through the employment of a novel Holistic Arms Control methodology, the authors also look beyond the bounds of such treaties, to explore the full range of international law, international agreements and regulatory mechanisms potentially applicable to weapons employing toxic chemical agents, in order to develop recommendations for more effective routes to combat their proliferation and misuse. A particular emphasis is given to the roles that chemical and life scientists, health professionals and wider informed activist civil society can play in protecting the prohibition against poison and chemical weapons; and in working with States to build effective and responsive measures to ensure that the rapid scientific and technological advances are safeguarded from hostile use and are instead employed for the benefit of us all.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Preventing the Re-emergence of Chemical Weapons; The Changing Nature of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat; The Chemical Weapons Convention - Past Success, Current Challenges; The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention; United Nations Mechanisms to Combat the Development, Acquisition and Use of Chemical Weapons; International Legal Constraints upon the Weaponization of Toxic Chemicals; Convergence of Chemistry and Biology, and Nanotechnology; Advances in Understanding Targets in the Central Nervous System (CNS); Advances in the Targeted Delivery of Biochemical Agents; The Future of Chemical Weapons: Advances in the Development of Anti-plant Agents; The Future of Chemical Weapons: Advances in Anti-animal Agents; Development and Hostile Use of Toxic Chemical Means of Delivery and Dispersal; Advances in Poisoning Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Drugs for the Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chemical Weapons; Current Challenges to Export Controls Related to Chemical Warfare Interdiction; The Future of Chemical Weapons Convention - Out-dated Model of CWC 2.0; Implications for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention; Role of the Non-governmental Chemical Science Community in Combatting the Development, Proliferation, and Use of Chemical Weapons; Role of the Non-governmental Life Science Community in Combatting the Development, Proliferation and Use of Chemical Weapons; The Role of the Non-governmental Medical Community in Combatting the Development, Proliferation and Use of Chemical Weapons; The Role of Civil Society in Combating the Development, Proliferation and Use of Chemical Weapons; Conclusions and Recommendations