USA—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will commemorate its 40th anniversary by hosting a prestigious Chemical Demilitarization Awards Ceremony on November 14, 2023.
The event aims to honor the Department of Defense (DoD), the Program Executive Office Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA), and the CDC’s Chemical Demilitarization (CDM) Program for their pivotal role in eliminating a significant public health threat.
This celebratory occasion follows the recent announcement by US President Joe Biden, confirming the successful destruction of the nation’s chemical weapons stockpile.
President Biden hailed the completion of the arduous thirty-year process as a remarkable achievement that brings humanity “one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons.”
In response to this momentous development, the CDC’s CDM Program will showcase its substantial contributions throughout the years, underscoring its commitment to safeguarding public safety and well-being.
Over 30,000 tons of America’s chemical warfare agents have been safely destroyed, effectively eradicating a major public health threat that endangered communities not only within the US but also worldwide.
Pursuant to Public Law (50 USC 1521), the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the Surgeon General were tasked with providing independent oversight to ensure the safety and health of communities during the process of US chemical weapons destruction, including stockpiled and recovered or buried chemical weapons within the country.
In 1983, this crucial responsibility was delegated to the CDC, which has faithfully fulfilled its oversight duties for the past four decades, celebrating its 40th anniversary in August 2023.
Remarkably, the completion of the chemical weapons stockpile destruction aligns with the CDC’s CDM Program’s 40th anniversary, making this milestone all the more significant.
The destruction of chemical weapons adheres to the regulations set forth by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
This international arms control treaty defines chemical weapons as munitions and devices intentionally designed to cause harm or death through their toxic properties. Notable examples include the use of chlorine and mustard gases during World War I.
Having ratified the CWC in 1997, the United States, along with other party states, is strictly prohibited from developing, producing, acquiring, stockpiling, retaining, or transferring chemical weapons.
The treaty further mandates the destruction of existing stockpiles and all associated facilities. With the completion of the US stockpile destruction, approximately 99 percent of the world’s known chemical weapons have been eradicated.
However, there are still several countries that have not fully embraced the CWC.
Israel, although having signed the treaty, is yet to ratify it due to security concerns. In the midst of its ongoing civil war, Syria has faced accusations of deploying chemical weapons. Additionally, Egypt, located on Israel’s southern border, is not a party to the treaty.
As the world witnesses the near-eradication of chemical weapons, attention is now shifting towards the elimination of cluster bombs.
Recently, the United States announced a military aid package to Ukraine that includes cluster bombs in the form of dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs).
These weapons disperse submunitions or bomblets indiscriminately over a wide area. Tragically, many of these submunitions fail to detonate, effectively transforming into de facto landmines.
It is worth noting that neither the US, Ukraine, nor Russia are party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an arms treaty banning the use of cluster bombs.
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