Topic: Re-Evaluating the Chemical Weapons Convention
Country: Senegal
Delegate Name: Molly Hereza
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Senegal position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
Chemical warfare has been considered a crime against humanity for many years. The United Nations created the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) which prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, and the transfer or use of weapons by the states that are party to the treaty. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ensures the CWC’s compliance and they have verified that they have destroyed over 90 percent of declared chemical weapons. Many countries such as China, Israel, and Russia are suspected to have stockpiles of chemical weapons and under the CWC they may stockpile chemicals that are for commercial and military purposes. However, many of these chemicals are harmful and the use of incapacitating chemical agents can also kill people.
Senegal is deeply concerned with the use of chemical weapons and the destruction and harm that chemical weapons can cause. The country signed the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons in 1993. In August of 2002 they also developed a national commission on nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Senegal has no biological weapons and they do not produce them and they do not wish to acquire the weapons or develop programs to produce them. Senegal has also banned several different harmful chemicals, such as those used in pesticides, from being put in products and then sold to people in the country.
As a signatory state Senegal will abide by the treaties they have signed relating the use and distribution of chemical weapons. As relating to harmful chemicals Senegal is party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and wishes to have other countries ban harmful chemicals as well by disposing of the weapons. Senegal will not stand by any country who has stockpiled nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons due to the mass destruction and the loss of life they cause. Broadening the definition of what a chemical weapon it will affect what chemicals countries can and can not use. It will benefit them because people will not be consuming harmful chemicals. Senegal will be ready to work with any country who is ready to stop countries from having these dangerous weapons and ban harmful chemicals from going into circulation.
