The World Assembly,
Recalling three previous attempts at legislating chemical weapons failing at plenary vote within the past year,
Further recalling that a fourth attempt did succeed in passing, only to be almost immediately repealed,
Becoming increasingly bored of the topic of chemical weapons,
Yawning,
Therefore recognising the necessity of a compromise that both respects national sovereignty and ameliorates the worst excesses of chemical warfare,
Seeking to establish such a compromise through a final and definitive legislative act that will end debate on this controversial subject and permit discussion to move on to other topics such as human rights, social justice, trade and the environment, development and responsibility, or really just about anything,
Does hereby:
- Declare the following general definitions, for the purposes of this Resolution:
[ul][li] ‘toxic chemical’ as one through whose toxicity it has a capacity to cause death or permanent harm to people in a way that could render it an effective military weapon;
[li] ‘precursor’ as a reactant taking part at any stage in the production of a toxic chemical;
[li] ‘chemical weapon’ as toxic chemicals and precursors, and arms specifically designed for the dispersion or dissemination of such;[/li][/ul]
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Establish the Military Advisory Bureau (MAB) to serve as an international research agency and to render assistance in relevant projects;
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Permit nations to seek, in consultation with MAB, specific clarifications, exceptions, and modifications to the above definitions so as to ensure full coverage of new and developing chemical weapons while excluding those with little military application, and specifically to seek reservations to their obligations herein for:
[ul][li] stockpiling, use or transfer for reasons other than offensive military application, such as in industry or research;
[li] transfer for the purposes of peaceful research, development of countermeasures and protective strategies, and decommissioning;
[li] retention of small, secured amounts of harmfully persistent chemical weapons for peaceful research and development of countermeasures and protective strategies;[/li][/ul]
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Authorise MAB to review and refine the above definitions on an ongoing basis with regards to persistence, toxicity, capacity for use as a weapon, and prevalence in other fields such as industry or medicine, and to recognise and define a specific schedule for harmfully persistent chemical weapons whose long-term environmental impact outweighs any military benefit;
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Further authorise MAB to assist any requesting party in engaging in decommissioning of chemical stocks;
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Prohibit the stockpiling, use or transfer of harmfully persistent chemical weapons;, and require their destruction or conversion to other purposes, promptly and with due regard for environmental and security concerns;
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Further prohibit any deliberate targeting of any chemical weapons against any civilian population, and designate such a crime against humanity and any order to execute such a manifestly illegal order;
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Otherwise restrict the use of chemical weapons to defensive, delaying, and area denial operations;
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Prohibit the transfer of chemical weapons to non-state parties, to known supporters of internationally recognised terrorist operatives, and to any non-party to this Resolution;
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Preserve the right of nations to permit the use of non-lethal incapacitating agents, in accordance with international law and subject to the general principle of minimising unnecessary casualties.