The Enforcement of the Chemical Weapons Convention

In this article Macedo Riba takes a look at aspects related to the enforcement of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, beginning with a detailed, historic account of the use of these types of weapons and leading up to the signing of international agreements to ban them, such as the Geneva Protocol. Of particular relevance is the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which promotes a culture in favor of the pacific use of chemistry and which was created by the Convention to ensure compliance with its regulations. The author examines these regulations from three angles: the obligations of Member States vis-à-vis the non-production and transfer of chemical weapons and their use; the obligation of States that possess such weapons to totally destroy their stockpiles, and aspects relating to participation and cooperation, which are of special interest to developing countries. In Mexico, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) has been appointed by the government as the National Authority to represent the country at the OPCW. As such, the SRE is responsible for coordinating the activities of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Committee of the Inter-ministerial Commission on International Disarmament, Terrorism and Security. In this context, the author feels it is important to adapt our legislation to the regulations of the Convention. In Macedo Riba’s view, the main achievement of the Chemical Weapons Convention has been to provide a basic, universal legal framework for the production and use of these types of weapons.