Topic: Re-Evaluating the Chemical Weapons Convention
Country: Israel
Delegate Name: Benjamin Raterink
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Israel position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
World War I, the beginning of devastation for the masses. This was the introduction of chemical-weapon use on the battlefield and later moved on to the Nazi party using more deleterious chemicals during World War II. Most countries began using chlorine, phosphates, toxin, sarin, and numerous others in standard munition productions. Afterwards, the United Nations (UN) held a convention where the Geneva Protocol of 1925 was written in response to public outrage. Many people welcomed the protocol, however, the document came with more shortcomings than advantages because it had little restraint on the prohibition of production, stockpiling, or development of chemical weapons. Due to the lacking restraints of the Geneva Protocol, the Conference on Disarmament adopted the ‘Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)’ which instituted the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on 3 September 1992. But, from the 1990’s to the 21st century, there has been improved development of new chemicals and new manufacturing processes for consumer goods. The market has remained unrestricted with new chemicals thus providing citizens within any country the capability to purchase these chemical used in the building of chemical weapons and artillery. The Legal Committee should be urged for the re-evaluation of the CWC to reinforce and establish new regulations over such chemicals that are capable of being converted into weapons of mass destruction.
The country of Israel provides no insight to the chemical weapons within their country but urges for the re-evaluation of the the CWC for stricter regulations on the retail and production of chemical weapons. We have been a continued war-front zone where militant groups such as ISIS, Hamas, and Fatah have brought a plethora of brutality to the borders of Israel. Along with the continued Palestine-Israeli conflict, chemical weapons have been an ongoing issue since the early 20th century. Not only chemical weapons, but also biological weapons are a concern for Israel. Israel has taken an abundance of efforts in strengthening their defence against such weapons due to the constant threat from nearby country neighbors. The military government of Israel will not take any risk in the deployment of bio-weapons or chem-attacks for the feared increased risk of bring devastation upon their own citizens. Most actions by Israel are under a government-controlled military faction which specializes in the reduction of chemical and biological weapons by removing these items from the civilian sectors. Israel hopes that other Middle-Eastern populations will work towards a similar goal by taking the desired precautionary measure where various weapons are under only the government or even a complete eradication of the weapons altogether from the its reigne.
From the first World War to manufacturing marvels of today, chemicals are being consumed by the market for goods and services. However, with much lament, those very chemicals contain the potential which is harnessed in chemical weapons and biological weapons for the purpose of ruination of culture, history, and life. The State of Israel has noted the progression made by the CWC and OPCW and has seen that most of the United Nation participants have taken the appropriate measures by signing and ratifying the document. However, for the position which Israel is placed — because of their geographical location — we urge for additional definition of what a chemical and biological weapon is and what is regulated under international law and what is encompassed as a larger scope of chemical materials. Furthermore, the government of Israel hopes that all nation within the Middle-East regions will endorse the CWC or a revised volume of the document in order to bring more stability to the region and confidently rebuild newfound trust inside the region.
