Reducing the risk of chemical war
By W. Wuryani
JAKARTA (JP): The distinguished journal Nature again published in May 1998 a view on the Gulf War syndrome, a kind of illness produced from the residue of warfare. The journal also mentioned this syndrome on two earlier occasions, namely in December 1996 and in January 1997. One of the causing agents of this syndrome is the exposure of the body to nerve agents. These agents may enter the body through inhalation in their gaseous or aerosol form and through skin and eyes in their liquid form.
The toxicity of nerve agents is mainly due to their inhibiting effect on the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This enzyme acts as a highly active catalyst for the hydrolysis of acetylcholine, a transmitter substance responsible for the transfer of nerve impulses. Thus, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity causes accumulation of acetylcholine. At very low dosages, acetylcholine will cause a running nose, tightness of the chest, dimming of vision and contraction of the eye pupils. Meanwhile, at higher dosages, the symptoms will progress more rapidly through difficulty in breathing, nausea and vomiting, involuntary defecation and urination, tremors, headache, convulsions and finally death.
Four nerve agents, namely tabun, sarin, soman and VX have been employed as weapons of deadly menace. Sarin was reported used by the Aum Shinrikyo sect in Japan and some innocent people became victims of its action in a Tokyo subway station a few years ago. Sarin is a colorless liquid with high volatility and it was heavily stockpiled. Nerve agents represent a chemical threat that is still not surpassed by any other group of chemical warfare agents. This is (partially) due to their extremely high toxicity and their ability to rapidly induce toxic effects. Furthermore, they are stable, easy to disseminate and relatively simple to produce from cheap starting materials.
The utilization of chemical weapons has been condemned since the 17th century. The Brussels Declaration, an international agreement prohibiting the use of poison bullets, was adopted in 1874. New chemical toxins and new ways of delivering them have kept treaties alive with the aim of banning such weapons of mass destruction. Therefore it is not surprising that the diplomatic and security agendas of large and small nations ever since hold the treaties with the utmost importance. Although chemical weapons are among the most deadly military devices, they have never achieved eventual victory. The World War I battles in which chemical weapons were used, caused about 100,000 deaths and 1 million casualties. On Jun. 17, 1925, the Geneva Protocol was signed to ban the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases and of bacteriological methods of warfare. However, this protocol does not prohibit the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons.
In order to prevent the possibility of the use of chemical weapons, another treaty, namely the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction was completed. This Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is the latest one, but the first global disarmament agreement which is at present the best attempt at ridding the world of chemical weapons, by targeting to ban both their possession and the means to produce them. At the same time, this Convention could enhance the economic and technological development of all State Parties by promoting free trade in chemicals as well as international cooperation and exchange of scientific and technical information in the field of chemical activities for purposes not prohibited under this Convention, i.e: (1) industrial, agricultural, research, pharmaceutical or other peaceful purposes; (2) protection against toxic chemicals and chemical weapons; (3) military purposes not connected with the use of chemical weapons and not dependent on the use of the toxic properties of chemicals as a method of warfare; (4) law enforcement including domestic riot control purposes.
The CWC is now signed by the leaders of 160 nations and 107 countries have ratified it. Among them are those countries having large chemical industries (such as the United States, the Russian Federation, China, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom). Meanwhile in the ASEAN region, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore and Laos have already taken further steps than Indonesia. The Convention entered into force on April 29, 1997.
The state parties to this convention have established the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in order to achieve the objectives and purposes of this convention and to ensure the implementation of its provisions. Included in it are those of international verification of compliance with the convention, and the provision of a forum for consultation and cooperation among state parties. The seat of the organization headquarters is The Hague, the Netherlands.
Participating in the CWC offers economic, political, diplomatic and scientific advantages. There will be no restrictions on chemical trade with international partners who are also party to the convention. Being a member of the CWC, a concerned country will have no limitation in acquiring chemicals required for research, as well as for domestic industries which are active in using and producing certain chemicals. Therefore, this will provide benefits to the home pharmaceutical, textile and agricultural businesses.
At the international level, participating nations will be able to retrieve any information on chemical weapons and the technique to destroy the waste, as well as assistance in solving problems related to chemical weapons, along lines which conform with the philosophy of the convention. Nations which have ratified the convention have voice and vote at the convention table. The ratifying nations have also the right to be elected to the Executive Council (which prepares for implementation of the provision of the treaty) or the Technical Secretariat (which among other functions, provides inspectors for suspected stockpiles or production sites and monitors the destruction of existing stocks). In the era of globalization, participation in the body of the convention is not only of national but also of regional and international interest.
The Government of Indonesia signed the treaty on Jan. 13, 1993 in Paris. It is anticipated that Indonesia will soon ratify the CWC, so that Indonesia will belong to the international brotherhood in keeping with the world's law and order. It is understandable that Indonesia will take steps to ratify as it is in line with the Indonesian philosophy stated in Article 4 of the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution in which Indonesia bears the responsibility to maintain international peace. The 1998 broad outlines of state policy also pledges that Indonesia will take an active role in disarmament, in particular of mass destruction weapons such as nuclear, biological and chemical.
Indonesia has actively participated in a series of international meetings since 1980 to formulate the convention. The government has also appointed a group of experts -- lawyers, politicians, chemists, chemical engineers, economists, medical specialists -- from various related agencies, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare the draft of the national implementing legislation which enables the government to fulfill the requirements of the CWC.
The task given to this group is to compile and generate information from chemical industries which either consume or produce the chemicals listed as Schedule Chemicals and Unscheduled Discrete Organic Chemicals (DOC) in the convention's book. The former mentioned chemicals could be divided into toxic chemicals and their precursors. Toxic chemicals means any chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals. This includes all such chemicals, regardless of their origin or of their method of production, and whether they are produced in facilities, in munitions or elsewhere. Precursor means any chemical reactant, which takes part at any stage in the production by whatever method, of toxic chemicals. This includes any key component which plays the most important role in determining the toxic properties of the final product and also reacts rapidly with other chemicals. Within these two groups of chemicals there are so-called dual use materials, i.e. items that have ordinary commercial value but can be used for military purposes as well. Thus, industries which deal with chemicals must be aware of the convention requirements and should observe the book of rules.
Thirty days after Indonesia submits the instruments of ratification to the secretary-general of the United Nations, Indonesia must declare all its chemical weapons including their installations, if any, and also related chemical industry operations. The above initial declaration has to be updated, after any change becomes effective, also submitting subsequent annual declarations becomes an obligation.
Being a latecomer to the convention, Indonesia, will unfortunately only have a very limited period of time to put its national system into full operation. In other words, the system must effectively work. This suggests, that Indonesia soon shall have to implement national regulations and designate a National Authority to serve as the focal point for effective liaison with the organization and other state parties. It is important to profit from the experiences of other state parties, which have their system already running or to consult the OPCW to find effective solutions for the problems which may occur.
The writer is a researcher at the Research and Development Center for Applied Chemistry, Indonesian Institute of Sciences.
Window A: Thus, industries which deal with chemicals must be aware of the convention requirements and should observe the book of rules.
Window B: Being a latecomer to the convention, Indonesia, will unfortunately only have a very limited period of time to put its national system into full operation.