THE INTERNATIONAL CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION - PROBLEMS INVOLVED

The end of East- West confrontation has renewed the relevance of the weapons of mass destruction problem. On the one hand, these particularly dangerous warfare agents seem to make even less sense now that the major military threat has ceased to exist. On the other band, many countries and peoples are becoming aware of the increased security risk connected with these weapons in view of the proliferation of numerous small-scale conflicts. Great hopes, therefore, are pinned on the international prohibition of chemical weapons. At the same time, however, the problems involved cannot be overlooked. Oliver Thraenert, who has been examining these and similar questions at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Bonn for some time now, takes a closer look at the prospects for a successful worldwide elimination of chemical weapon (C weapons).