The chamber of deputies Friday finally passed the bill on the implementation of the Convention on the prohibition of development, production, stockpiling, use and destruction of chemical weapons.Referred to as weapons of mass destruction, chemical weapons are devices that use chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm to human beings.The House’s endorsement came after lawmakers approved a report presented by the deputy chairperson of the standing committee on foreign affairs, cooperation and security, Hon. Julienne Uwacu. The committee started scrutinising the bill early this year.While presenting her report, Uwacu said: “The adjustments made by the Senate were largely on the wording of the bill we had previously approved. And we accepted all their amendments”.According to the bill, chemical weapons are defined as: toxic chemicals or their precursors, except where intended for purposes not prohibited under the Convention, as long as the types and quantities are consistent with such purposes; or munitions and devices, specifically designed to cause death or other harm through the toxic properties of these toxic chemicals which would be released as a result of the employment of such munitions and devices.They can also be any equipment specifically designed for use directly for use directly in connection with the employment of munitions and devices specified under the context of munitions and devices.However, article two notes that uses not prohibited under the Convention include: industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical, or other peaceful purposes, as well as “protective purposes, namely those purposes directly related to protection against toxic chemicals and to protection against chemical weapons.”The bill is similar to a model by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organisation, based in The Netherlands which promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention to prohibit the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction.
