| Publication |
2012.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The Advisory Panel on Future Priorities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW) was quite clear about the main issue it wished to address in its report.
Despite the delays in completing the destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles, the report's
fourth paragraph states:
the OPCW needs to prepare for a transition from mandates and efforts
primarily characterised by the elimination of chemical weapons stockpiles
and production facilities to an agency that will have as its main task to ensure
that the menace of chemical warfare and the use of toxic chemicals for hostile
purposes will never reappear … .1
Moreover, it is clear about the importance of considerations related to science and technology
during this transition from disarmament to non-proliferation. Paragraph six notes that:
Today's security environment is very different. Science and technology are
advancing at an astounding pace, creating new opportunities but also new
risks. The size and shape of the world's chemical industry are undergoing
profound change. All these developments create new conditions within which
the [Chemical Weapons] Convention has to operate.
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