IR

 

Russia claimed that U.S. had Chemicals and bio-weapons labs in the Ukraine.

About Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention 1972:

·        The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use.

·        The treaty’s full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction.

·        This agreement was signed in 1972.

·        It came into force in 1975. As of 2019, 109 countries have signed the treaty and 183 nations are party to this treaty.

·        Tanzania was the foremost recent country to become a party to the accord..

·        It was the 1st multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of Biological Weapons. India ratified this treaty in 2015.

·        Bio Weapons: There are 3 types of agents used based on the ability and extent of damage that can be caused.

·        They are: Category A: High-priority agents. Example: Anthrax, Ebola virus.

·        Category B: Moderate-priority agents. Example: Brucellosis, Q fever

·        Category C: Low-priority agents. Example: Yellow fever virus, Hantavirus.

·        Some of the deadliest biological weapons that have been used are: Anthrax: Caused by bacteria named Bacillus Anthracis.

·        It is one amongst the deadliest agents to be used as a biological weapon. its been used with food, water, spray, powders.

·        It is completely tasteless and odourless.

·        Botulinum Toxin: It is caused by naturally found bacteria named Clostridium Botulinum.

·        It may be utilized by contaminating food and water.

·        It was known to be used by Japan on Prisoners of War (POW) during the occupation of Manchuria.

·        Francisella Tularensis: As per a former USSR scientist, this was used as a biological weapon against the Nazi Army of Germany by the USSR Army in the in the Battle of Stalingrad of World War II.

·        Aflatoxin: Iraq had produced and deployed different weapons armed with Aflatoxin.

·        It had been noted by the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) in 1995..

·        However, it was destroyed during the Gulf War.

·        Chemical Weapons Convention: A chemical weapon could be a chemical used to cause intentional death or damage through its poisonous properties.

·        CWC is a multilateral pact banning chemical weapons and requiring their destruction among the stipulated time.

·        Negotiations for the CWC began in 1980 at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.

·        The convention was drafted in September 1992 and opened for signature in January 1993.

·        It became effective from April 1997.

·        It is makes it mandatory to destroy old and abandoned chemical weapons.

·        Members should also declare the riot-control agents (sometimes referred to as ‘tear gas’) in possession of them. It has 192 state parties and 165 signatories.

·        India signed the treaty in January 1993. Convention Prohibits: The development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or retention of chemical weapons.

·        Transferring of chemical weapons. Using chemical weapons.

·        Assisting different States to indulge in activities that are prohibited by the CWC.

Using riot-control devices as ‘warfare methods’.