One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare and Disarmament: Then and Now

Abstract

On 22 April 2015, we commemorate the turning of a tragic page in human history—the 100th anniversary of the first large-scale use of chemical weapons near Ieper in Belgium. In the wake of this attack and for the remainder of World War I, both sides unleashed similar weapons, as well as developed new and deadlier ones to inflict more than a million casualties. What made these events all the more tragic was the fact that an international legal instrument banning the use of poisonous gases in warfare was in place well before the outbreak of World War I. This was The Hague Convention of 1899. Now, as we contemplate what we have achieved in chemical disarmament since that time, it is worth asking what has contributed to our success, and what we need to do in order to secure the durability of this success into the future. As we commemorate the centenary of the chemical attacks in Ieper, we need to draw inspiration not only from the success of the Chemical Weapons Convention as a unique multilateral accord, but also from the political will that has driven its implementation. These form the axis of a comprehensive and effective regime, driven by close partnership with science and industry—a regime that will continue to address new and emerging challenges to make our hard-won disarmament gains permanent.

Ahmet Üzümcü is Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.