BY MIKHAIL GORBACHEV AND ROGELIO PFIRTER
The recent joint declaration by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to negotiate a new treaty reducing their countries' nuclear stockpiles as a first step toward "a nuclear-weapon-free world" has spurred hopes for renewed progress in global disarmament after a decade of gridlock.
An excellent example of how nations can work together effectively within a multilateral framework to eliminate weapons of mass destruction is the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The convention is unique in the sphere of disarmament and nonproliferation--an international treaty that abolishes an entire class of weapons of mass destruction under a stringent regime of inspections to verify compliance. Since its entry into force in April 1997, the convention has attracted 188 States Parties representing 98 percent of the world's population and chemical industries, the fastest rate of accession for any arms control treaty in history. More >>>
The convention is unique in the sphere of disarmament and nonproliferation--an international treaty that abolishes an entire class of weapons of mass destruction under a stringent regime of inspections to verify compliance. Since its entry into force in April 1997, the convention has attracted 188 States Parties representing 98 percent of the world's population and chemical industries, the fastest rate of accession for any arms control treaty in history. More >>>
