Global Dispatches -- Conversations On Foreign Policy And World Affairs

  The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which prohibits the manufacture, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons, entered into force in 1997. It is now the most widely adopted international arms control treaty, with 193 states parties. The CWC is a clear example of a treaty that works. Since its adoption, all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed, including those of the United States last year. Its broad acceptance has also reinforced international norms against chemical weapons use. When such weapons were deployed in Syria in 2013, the atrocity prompted Russia and the United States to pressure the Assad regime to join the CWC and allow investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to oversee the destruction of Syria’s remaining stockpile. This effort earned the OPCW the Nobel Peace Prize that same year. The CWC is fulfilling its purpose. Joining me to discuss how the treaty was created, its success in shaping state behavior, and what lies ahead