#opcw

[workersolidarity]

🇷🇺 🚨 RUSSIAN FEDERATION LOSES BID FOR SEAT ON THE BOARD OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS (OPCW)

The Russian Federation lost in its bid to earn a seat on the Executive Council board of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

A vote for the bid failed on Wednesday, with Lithuania being given the seat instead.

98 states supported the changes, 8 opposed, and another 21 abstained.

During his speech at the OPCW conference, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Kirill Lysogorsky noted that the nomination of Lithuania, which has virtually no chemical industry, to the OPCW Executive Council by participating countries does not carry any practical meaning, which calls into question the constructive work of the organization.

Lysogorsky said that this was probably done to reduce Russia’s role in the work of the entire OPCW or to “squeeze” it out of the executive council.

#source1

#source2

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[disarmamentawarenessday]

Weapons of Mass Destruction Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Instruments in an Age of Accelerated Technological Change.

The side event is jointly organized by UNODA, CTBTO, IAEA and OPCW. Representatives of the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture will explore how rapid scientific and technological advances could impact the effectiveness of existing treaty regimes and how these regimes are adapting to ensure they remain robust and fit for purpose.

Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Under Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, will deliver keynote address. A panel discussion will be followed, during which representatives of UNODA, CTBTO, IAEA and OPCW will share insights on the challenges and opportunities for the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture presented by emerging technologies.

Watch Weapons of Mass Destruction Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Instruments in an Age of Accelerated Technological Change!

[head-post]

EU and OPCW to step up co-operation

The European Union and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have signed a cooperation agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to the official website of the EU.

Vice-President Josep Borrell recalled that the OPCW was created to “put an end to and eliminate chemical weapons once and for all.”

With the signature of this new agreement, we are increasing our cooperation with the OPCW to safeguard and implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The objective is clear: a world free from chemical weapons for the sake of all mankind.

Read more HERE

[waybackwanderer]

The Chemical Weapons Convention Homepage Nov 1996 Archived Web Page

[tilos-tagebuch]

🇸🇾 Syrien: Kontroverse über manipulierten OPCW-Bericht zu angeblichem Einsatz chem. Waffen in Douma

Hochrangige ehemalige UN-Offizielle und Wissenschaftler, die seit 2021 als „Berlin Gruppe 21“ (BG21) zusammenarbeiten, haben Abgeordneten des Europaparlaments ihre Untersuchung des OPCW-Berichts über einen angeblichen Einsatz chemischer Waffen in Douma, Syrien, im April 2018 vorgelegt. Gefunden haben sie Beweise für Manipulation, Voreingenommenheit und Zensur.

🎧 https://www.0815-info.news/Web_Links-Syrien-Kontroverse-ueber-manipulierten-OPCW-Bericht-zu-angeblichem-Einsatz-chem-dot-Waffen-in-Douma-visit-11282.html

[visionpostsdaily-blog]

Lest We Forget the Douma Cover-Up Scandal: Where OPCW's Credibility Takes a Hit

The Douma cover-up scandal refers to the alleged attempt by the Syrian government and Russian officials to cover up a chemical weapons attack that took place in Douma, Syria in April 2018. The attack, which was widely attributed to the Syrian government, reportedly killed dozens of people and prompted a retaliatory missile strike by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. However,…

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

@observingukraineandrussia The worst will be "the West expects Russia to conduct a full and fair investigation" into Navalny's death. That will NEVER happen. But Western headlines always keep saying this or a variation thereof whenever a Russian dissident is murdered. They were asking for "full investigation" into the murder of Nemtsov, Politkovskaya, and so on. They asked for a "full investigation" when Putin tried murdering Navalny with Novichok and Russia refused to answer questions sent by the OPCW about its flagrant violation of international laws and treaties. Terrorist states do not conduct full and fair investigations into their own crimes.

These headlines like "the West holds russia responsible " are hilarious like. He was in a prison in Siberia. Who else is responsible.

[mariacallous]

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed on Nov. 18 that a riot control agent known as CS has been used in Ukraine, as evidence mounts that Russia has scaled up its attacks using chemical weapons in recent months.

The United Nations watchdog OPCW's first confirmation about the tear gas usage comes as Russia has intensified its use of chemical agents since the beginning of the year to advance forward across Ukraine's front line.

Russian drones throw gas grenades into dugouts or trenches in an attempt to force Ukrainian soldiers out into the open field, making them easy prey for drone or artillery attacks.

The U.S. and the U.K. have confirmed Russia's deployment of chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers, slapping sanctions on Russia's troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense, their chief, Russian Defense Ministry scientific centers, and companies involved.

The Ukrainian military has reported that it recorded over 4,600 cases of Russia using gas attacks on the battlefield since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, including 323 incidents in November.

Without naming Russia nor directly confronting Moscow for violating the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW said that samples from both the grenade and the soil sample retrieved from a September incident at a specific trench "contained the riot control agent 2-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile, known as CS."

While often used to disperse riots and considered nonlethal, the OPCW says that tear gas, including CS, is "considered chemical weapons if used as a method of warfare."

The samples — which underwent separate testing in two OPCW-designated laboratories — were collected from a trench "located along the confrontation lines with the opposing troops" in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, according to the report.

The OPCW said in the Nov. 18 report that the watchdog's Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, "expressed grave concern over the findings."

"All 193 OPCW Member States, including the Russian Federation and Ukraine, have committed never to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, transfer or use chemical weapons," Arias said.

He stressed that the parties have declared that "any use of chemical weapons is totally unacceptable and would violate the legal norms and standards of the international community."

Earlier in May, OPCW said that Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of deploying chemical weapons, but "the information provided to the Organization so far by both sides, together with the information available to the Secretariat, is insufficiently substantiated."

Kyiv's rising concerns over unidentified gas

While Russia's usage of chemical agents has slightly decreased since August, when 447 cases were recorded by the Ukrainian military within a month, Kyiv has been concerned about unidentified gas being deployed against its soldiers.

Lacking "hundreds" of complex detectors that cost $100,000 to $600,000 to identify the chemicals used by Russian troops, the Ukrainian military has struggled to name the new or mixed types of gas to find a solution on how to protect its personnel, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk told the Kyiv Independent in October.

Of the 323 recorded cases of Russia's chemical attacks in October, all except 15 incidents were "unidentified," according to Vlasiuk from the Support Forces' Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Command, a branch of the army responsible for inspecting chemical warfare.

The officer said that Ukraine struggled to identify the new types of gas because it lacked sophisticated high-end detector technology to diagnose beyond the few prototypes in its library — which includes CS, CN, chloropicrin, and ammonia.

It is often very difficult to send specialists to the front line for evidence collection, as it would mean risking their lives by having them walk kilometers to reach the positions. And when soldiers come under gas attacks, gathering the remains of the grenades used is usually not the priority.

The concerns over the unidentified gas come as dozens of Ukrainian soldiers interviewed by the Kyiv Independent across the front over the summer acknowledged their lack of preparedness to face chemical warfare. Many said they were only given the poor quality Soviet-era gas masks and that they do not take it to positions because they are skeptical of its effectiveness.

Often, comparing the danger of chemical agents to KAB guided-aerial bombs, artillery, and precise FPV drones, the infantrymen interviewed often downplayed the threat of gas — arguing that they had more chance of being killed or wounded by conventional arms.

At least three Ukrainian soldiers died from Russia's gas attacks, and almost 2,100 soldiers sought medical care after such incidents, according to the Support Forces. Many more could have gone unrecorded.

[warsofasoiaf]

hypothetically, lets assume Putin does decide things are beyond salvaging and to let the nukes fly and no one in the entire chain of command decides to stop him. The button get pushed so to speak and... nothing happens. Turns out even Russia's nuclear program is a victim of corruption and now Russia has not even that as a tool or weapon.

Or worse they do fire off but all either blow up in the silos or on Russian territory and otherwise never make it out of Russian air space.

What sort of international response would you expect to that?

Those are two significantly different examples.

If Russian nuclear silos explode, irradiating the surrounding areas, that becomes a significant humanitarian catastrophe that requires international intervention. After all, nuclear fallout is carried downwind, and depending on the Russian nuclear facilities that experience catastrophic failure, this means a significant number of IDP's and medical assistance that Russia is ill-equipped to provide support for. In that sense, there are exclusions zones, refugee camps, and other factors that dominate international concern.

However, in the event that the Russians deploy a nuclear response that ends up being a dud, I imagine that the Russian Federation is expelled from most supranational governmental forums. No country wants the nuclear taboo broken, and so even China would be hard-pressed to deny Russia's expulsion from the Security Council, and Orban couldn't justify Russia's expulsion from something like the OPCW or any European security arrangement. You'd probably see the confiscation of Russian foreign sovereign assets, crippling sanctions, and the effort undertaken to destroy Russian nuclear weapon infrastructure, including nuclear submarines, silos, and the forcible grounding of nuclear-capable strategic bombers.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[beardedmrbean]

The US has accused Russia of deploying chemical weapons as a "method of warfare" in Ukraine, in violation of international laws banning their use.

State department officials said Russia used the choking agent chloropicrin to win "battlefield gains" over Ukraine.

The allegations, which US officials said were not an "isolated" incident, would contravene the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which Russia signed.

The Kremlin rejected the accusations, calling them "baseless".

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that Russia stood by its obligations under the CWC, which prohibits states from developing or acquiring new weapons. Some 193 states have ratified the convention.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a global watchdog that oversees implementation of the CWC, says a chemical weapon is a substance used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties.

Chloropicrin - which the US says Russia has used to "dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions" - is an oily substance which was widely used during World War One. It causes irritation of the lungs, eyes and skin and can cause vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea, according to the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

The chemical's use in war is expressly banned under the CWC, and is listed as a choking agent by the OPCW.

The state department also said Moscow had regularly used "riot control agents," or tear gas, during the war.

President Joe Biden has previously warned Russia against deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine. In March 2022, weeks after Moscow launched its invasion, Mr Biden vowed that President Vladimir Putin would pay a "severe price" if he did authorise the use of chemical weapons.

"We would respond if he uses it. The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use," Mr Biden said.

But there have been consistent reports that Moscow has ignored that warning. US Assistant Secretary for Arms Control Mallory Stewart has previously said Russia was using riot control agents in the conflict.

And Ukraine says its troops have faced mounting chemical attacks in recent months. The Reuters news agency reported earlier this year that Russian forces had used grenades loaded with CS and CN tear gases.

The report added that at least 500 Ukrainian soldiers have been treated for exposure to toxic gases, and that one had died after suffocating on tear gas.

Three Russian bodies linked to the country's biological and chemical weapons programme were sanctioned by the state department for their links to the production of chemical agents. Other firms that contributed to the government entities were also sanctioned.

How will we know if Russia used chemical weapons?

Nato will respond if Russia uses chemical weapons, warns Biden

US 'deeply concerned' at report of Mariupol chemical attack

In 2017, the OPCW said Russia had destroyed the last of its Cold War-era stockpile of the weapons, as required under the CWC.

But Moscow has since been accused of making incomplete declarations of its stockpile, according to the UK's House of Commons library.

Since 2017, Russia has been accused of at least two chemical attacks - the Salisbury attack on a former Soviet intelligence officer and the 2020 poisoning of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The allegations come as part of a broader tranche of US sanctions which targeted 30 individuals, including three people officials say were involved in Navalny's death.

The men are all officials at the Siberian prison colony where the opposition activist died earlier this year. Russia denies involvement in the opposition leader's death. Navalny's widow has accused President Putin of killing him.

Meanwhile, Russian forces in eastern Ukraine have continued their steady advance ahead of Victory Day celebrations on 9 May - the holiday commemorating Soviet victory in World War Two.

Much of the fighting has been taking place around Chasiv Yar, a Kyiv-controlled stronghold which Russia has been trying to reach after seizing the city of Avdiivka. It is thought Moscow wants to seize the town ahead of next week's celebrations.

It comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the head of Ukraine's Security Service's (SBU) cyber-security department, Illya Vityuk, amid allegations that he tried to use his position to punish a Ukrainian journalist who had reported on allegations of corruption against him.

The reporter was subsequently summoned to a military recruitment centre, prompting military chief Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi to launch an investigation.

Elsewhere, Human Rights Watch - a non-governmental organisation - has called for a war crimes investigation after it unearthed evidence that Russian forces executed over a dozen surrendering Ukrainian troops. The events allegedly occurred between December 2023 and February 2024, the body said in a statement.

[darkmaga-returns]

THE HAGUE, November 25. /TASS/. Russia provided the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons with at least 30 diplomatic notes that prove Ukraine's use of banned chemicals, the country’s Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Kirill Lysogorsky said.

"The Kiev regime continues to systematically use toxic chemicals and chemical riot control agents against the Russian Armed Forces, civilians and the leadership of Russian regions in the zone of the special military operation," he said at the 29th Conference of the States Parties of the OPCW. "Relevant proof, which was based on sample analyses, has been provided to the OPCW Technical Secretariat for distribution to States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly."

"More than 30 such notes have already been handed over," the official went on to say. "Recently, literally in October and November, two notes were handed over to provide proof of the use of banned chemicals by the Ukrainian armed forces."

Lysogorsky asked the technical secretariat and OPCW member states to treat this information as responsibly as possible.

"The perpetrators of these crimes must be subjected to just punishment," he said.

[kennak]

遺棄化学兵器問題（いきかがくへいきもんだい）とは、他国領域に遺棄されたとされる化学兵器（毒ガス）の処理に関する国際問題である。化学兵器禁止条約の成立により、同意なく他国領域に遺棄した化学兵器の処理が、遺棄国に義務付けられている。同条約に該当する遺棄化学兵器として、中国に存在する旧日本軍の化学兵器、イタリア及びパナマに存在するものが申告されている。遺棄の事実や処理事業の運営を巡って問題となっているものがある。 目次 概要 編集 第一次世界大戦で大々的に使用された化学兵器は、1925年のジュネーヴ議定書で使用が禁止されたが、研究や製造までは禁止されていなかった。そのため、以後も各国の軍が化学兵器を保有し、使用こそ限定的であったものの世界中で実戦配備されていた。一部は占領地などの他国領域にも持ちこまれ、部隊の撤収後そのまま現地に残されてしまう例も生じた。不十分な管理状態で放置された化学兵器は、容器の腐食などで化学剤が漏れ出して住民に健康被害をもたらす危険があった。通常の弾薬に比べて廃棄処理に特別な技術などを要する難点もあった。 1980年代に化学兵器の保有や開発まで禁ずる化学兵器禁止条約（CWC）の交渉がジュネーヴ軍縮会議で始まると、こうした遺棄化学兵器の処理についても議題として取り上げられた。1987年に中国の代表がジュネーヴ軍縮会議で、遺棄化学兵器の遺棄国の責任について初めて言及した[1][2]。日中間の2国間交渉・共同調査なども並行して行われながら、1992年に遺棄国の責任が盛り込まれた条約草案が採択され、翌年に各国により署名された。 1997年に発効した化学兵器禁止条約は、1925年1月1日以降に他国の領域に同意なく遺棄された化学兵器（老朽化して使用不能となったものを含む）について「遺棄化学兵器」と定め（2条6項）、現存地の管理国だけでなく、遺棄を行った国にもその廃棄を義務付けている（1条2項、3項）。処理ルールは検証付属書第4部（B）が規定しており、遺棄を行った国が全ての必要な資金や技術などを提供し、遺棄された国は遺棄化学兵器の廃棄に協力する。遺棄化学兵器が存在する場合には、締約国は速やかに化学兵器禁止機関（OPCW）に申告すべきとされている。原則として発効から10年以内の廃棄処理が求められる。 2009年までに中国・パナマ・イタリアに存在するものについて遺棄化学兵器として申告がされている。ほかにヨーロッパ各地では第一次世界大戦中に6600万発（化学剤12万4千トン）の化学兵器が実戦使用され、不発弾などが各地に残存しているが、こちらは1924年以前に「遺棄」が発生しているため、当該領域の管理国がそれぞれ処理することになる。また、公式な申告には至っていないが、エチオピアは、第二次エチオピア戦争などでイタリア軍が使用・遺棄した化学兵器が存在する可能性があると主張している[3]。 申告済みの遺棄化学兵器の処理については、パナマのものに関して、遺棄をしたとされるアメリカが処理を拒んでいる。また、中国のものについても、日本政府は中国政府と協力して処理事業を進めているが、条約上の遺棄化学兵器には当たらないのではないかとの指摘や、巨額の費用を要する事業の方式についての批判が日本国内に存在している（詳細後述）。 中国における遺棄化学兵器問題 編集 旧日本軍化学兵器の存在状況 編集 中国には第二次世界大戦期に日本軍が保有していた化学兵器が残存しており、これらが日本軍の遺棄に由来するものであるとされ問題となっている。第二次世界大戦期の旧日本軍は、中国に関東軍化学部（通称号：満州第516部隊）や特種自動車第1連隊などの化学戦部隊を駐留させており、各種の化学兵器を満州を中心とした地域に集積していた。終戦までに生産された化学兵器の総量は、「きい剤」と呼ばれたマスタードガスやルイサイトなどのびらん剤砲弾約63万発、「あか剤」と呼ばれたジフェニルシアノアルシンなどのくしゃみ剤砲弾約125万���、同発煙筒266万個、そのほか「みどり剤」と呼ばれた催涙剤のクロロアセトフェノン（CNガス）などがある。一部は訓練や日中戦争の実戦で消費されたものの、大部分は使用されないまま終戦を迎えた。終戦時点で中国を含む日本国外に存在した化学兵器の量は、びらん剤砲弾2万-12万発・くしゃみ剤砲弾72万-88万発・同発煙筒125万個などと推定されている[4]。 吉林省敦化市にあるハルバ嶺地区には、日本側推定30万-40万発の日本軍の化学砲弾などが埋設されている。ハルバ嶺地区には、各地に遺棄されていたという化学兵器が、1950年代-1960年代に中国軍によって集められ、2箇所に埋設されて現在に至っている。当初は67万4千発と推定されていたが、その後の調査で推定量が下方修正された[5]。他方、中国側は200万発が存在すると主張しているが、日本側研究者は過大であると評価している[6]。いずれにしてもハルバ嶺は中国国内で最大の埋設量がある地点と見られている。このほか、北は黒竜江省から南は広東省に至るまでの中国各地にも旧日本軍の化学兵器は残存しており、2012年9月までに約4万8千発が回収されている[7]。中国側はハルバ嶺以外の大量存在地として、吉林省梅河口市にも黒竜江省尚志市から移送したびらん剤弾20万発が存在すると主張しているが、やはり日本側は過大な数字であると推測している[8]。以上の砲弾などに含有される化学���の総量は比較的少量で、化学砲弾等の総数が約70万発であると予想していた時点でも、約500トンと推定されていた[9]。 現存する旧日本軍の化学兵器には、既述のように「きい剤」（びらん剤）・「あか剤」（くしゃみ剤）・「みどり剤」（催涙剤）ほかが含まれている。ヒ素を含む化学剤があるため、処理に特別な配慮が必要とされる。形態には化学砲弾のほか、発煙筒式のものや保管用のドラム缶入りのものなどがある。「きい剤」または「あか剤」の化学砲弾が多くを占めると推定されている[5]。 残存する旧日本軍化学兵器による事故も発生している。2003年8月4日にはチチハルの工事現場において地中で発見されたドラム缶から旧日本軍の化学剤が流出して1人が死亡、43人が負傷した。日中政府間協議の結果、3億円の解決金が遺棄化学兵器処理事業費の一部として支払われた[10]。 （参考）旧日本軍が保有していた化学兵器 種類 日本軍名称 化学物質 びらん剤 きい剤 マスタードガス、ルイサイト 窒息剤 あお剤 ホスゲン 血液剤 ちゃ剤 シアン化水素 くしゃみ剤（嘔吐剤） あか剤 ジフェニルシアノアルシン、ジフェニルクロロアルシン 催涙剤 みどり剤 クロロアセトフェノン 発煙剤 しろ剤（あお剤と混合して使用） トリクロロアルシン [11][12] 交渉及び処理の経過 編集 1987年に中国から遺棄国の責任について発言があった後、1990年に中国から日本に対して非公式な旧日本軍化学兵器処理についての打診があった。翌年から日中の局長級協議が始まり、日本の外務省から現地へ第1回調査団が送られた。1992年に中国から公式に日本の責任を問う声明が発表された。CWC発効が迫った1996年から日中協議が本格化し、1997年8月に第2次橋本内閣で閣議了解された「遺棄化学兵器問題に関する取組体制について」に基づき、内閣官房に遺棄化学兵器処理対策室が設置（後に内閣府には遺棄化学兵器処理担当室が設置）された。そして、1999年7月に第1次小渕改造内閣下で「日本国政府及び中華人民共和国政府による中国における日本の遺棄化学兵器の廃棄に関する覚書」が署名され、翌年から実際の処理作業が開始された[1][2]。 処理事業は、ハルバ嶺とそれ以外の小規模事業に分けて行われている。ハルバ嶺については、当初の計画では現地に燃焼式の無害化プラントを設置し、作業工程を遠隔操作ロボット中心にするなどとされていたが、2008年度試掘調査（2008年12月-2009年1月）の結果、地中障害物の多さなどから機械作業は困難との判定がされた。そこで手作業での発掘要領の策定などを進めることとしており、2009年度にはより精密な試掘調査が実施されている[13]。処理設備は、2012年2月時点で後述の移動式処理設備と同じ制御爆破式の試験装置が完成して現地への設置準備中のほか、加熱爆破式の試験装置をスウェーデンで製造している[14]。なお、産経新聞は2009年1月にハルバ嶺事業が凍結されたと報じたが[15]、上記のように試掘が進むなど事業は継続されている。 小規模事業については、手作業を中心に発掘と回収が行われ、梱包のうえ中国各地の保管施設に集積して、その後に処理を行う計画である。すでに旧軍関係者などからの聞き取りや文献調査により遺棄化学兵器の捜索が行われており、約3万6千発が回収された南京市周辺のほか、各地においても発掘回収されている[5]。小規模事業対象の埋設地・総量の把握は困難だが、2012年9月までの外務省調査と内閣主導作業の成果を合わせて40か所以上から約4万8千発が回収され、中国国内の保管施設に置かれている[7]。廃棄処理には、トレーラーで中国各地を移動可能な移動式処理設備の使用が、2007年の安倍晋三首相と温家宝首相の会談で合意された[16]。1基目の移動式処理設備は南京で2010年10月に運用開始され、2012年1月時点で南京所在の約3万6千発の化学兵器のうち99.78%まで処理が進み、残された作業難度の高い化学砲弾の処理も同年前半には完了する方針である[17]。南京での事業完了後は、武漢市へ移設して作業、さらに広州市を候補に準備中の第3処理場へ移動する。北部向けの2基目は、石家荘市で2012年半ばの運用開始が予定されており、同地での事業完了後はハルビン市へ移設される計画である[17]。 CWCが発効した1997年から10年以内の処理を目指して作業が行われたが、期限内の完了は困難となったため、2006年にOPCW執行理事会において2012年4月までの処理期限延長が承認された[1]。延長後の期限内でも処理が終わらなかったことを受け、2012年のOPCW執行理事会で、判明済みの小規模事業対象については2016年中の処理完了、ハルバ嶺事業については当面2022年中の処理完了を目標として最善を尽くすべきとの決定がされた[18]。 遺棄の事実についての論争 編集 中国に残る埋没化学兵器は日本軍によって遺棄されたのではなく、終戦時の武装解除に伴い中国軍やソ連軍に引き渡され、その後に中国側によって埋没されたものではないかとの指摘がある。これについて日本政府は、旧日本軍の化学兵器であると判明したものについては、中国側が残置に同意していた明確な根拠がない限り、条約上の処理義務を負うものとの政府参考人による国会答弁を行っている[19]。2005年時点では、手投式催涙弾の引渡記録が発見された例はあるものの、そのほかの明確な根拠史料はないとしている[20]。その後、中国本土とは日本側の指揮系統が異なる台湾での化学兵器引渡に関しては、「あか剤」「みどり剤」の発煙筒を第10方面軍隷下の日本陸軍部隊が中国国民党軍に引き継ぎした際の記録が確認された[21]。しかし、中国本土に関しては、シベリア史料館（山形県）所蔵の文献調査などが進められているものの、史料の1/3の分析が終わった段階では化学兵器の引渡記録は全く発見されてい��い[22]。 また、日本軍の保有していた化学兵器以外に、中国製やソ連製の化学兵器も含まれているのではないかとの指摘もある。日本政府によれば、発掘後に仕分けを行って旧日本軍の化学兵器と確認されたもののみを処理事業対象として回収しているという[23]。広東省広州市黄埔区で2006年11月-2007年2月に行われた発掘作業では461発の砲弾が発見されたうち、旧日本軍の化学兵器と確認できた砲弾など73発と不明のもの24発が事業対象として回収され、残りは中国側に引き渡された[24]。ハルバ嶺での2008年度試掘調査では、661発の砲弾が発掘されたうち641発が化学砲弾だった[25]。 処理事業の運営に関する批判 編集 遺棄化学兵器処理事業には、1999年度から2007年度までで総額540億円が投じられている。その支出内容が不透明で、不要な施設整備に用いられたりするおそれがあると批判されてきた。これに対して、日本政府は、ヘリポートや変電所の整備は処理事業に必要な範囲で、支出は適切に行われているなどと反論している[26]。その後、大規模な施設整備が予定されたハルバ嶺事業については、前述のように調査を踏まえてロボット式の処理設備から手作業へ方針が変更された。日本政府は、一般競争入札による透明化を図るとしている[27]。 また、処理事業に絡んで商社会社から社団法人幹部に裏金が流れたことで脱税で立件された山田洋行事件や政府に人件費の水増し請求をしてコンサルタント会社幹部が詐欺で立件されたPCI事件が発覚し、有罪判決が確定している。また、与党幹部が処理事業に絡んで口利き介入をしたり、朝鮮総連本部ビル売却問題で有罪判決を受けた緒方重威が処理事業に参入する意向があったことも報じられている。 パナマにおける遺棄化学兵器問題 編集 パナマのパール諸島サンホセ島(en)には、かつて駐留していたアメリカ軍が保有していたとみられる化学兵器が残存している。同島は第二次世界大戦中からアメリカ軍を中心に、イギリス軍及びカナダ軍も使用する化学兵器実験場であった。パナマ政府はこれらの化学兵器が遺棄化学兵器であるとして、アメリカ政府に対して化学兵器の処理と汚染に対する補償を求めた。これに対してアメリカ政府は運河地帯返還に関するトリホス・カーター条約で解決済みであるとの立場をとり、2004年にドナルド・ラムズフェルド国防長官（当時）が同旨の説明を行っている[28]。 なお、パナマとアメリカの間では、化学兵器以外にも、アメリカ軍の演習場跡地に残存する通常弾薬の不発弾処理が問題となっている。 イタリアにおける遺棄化学兵器問題 編集 イタリアにも、外国軍により遺棄された化学兵器が存在している。イタリア本土には第二次世界大戦中にドイツ国防軍やアメリカ軍など枢軸国・連合国双方の軍が展開しており、アメリカ軍が持ち込んだマスタードガスが流出するジョン・ハーヴェイ号事件も起きていた。イタリア政府は、遺棄を行った国の特定は行わず、独自に処理を進めている[29]。 脚注 編集 [脚注の使い方] ^ a b c 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室「中国における遺棄化学兵器問題について」（リンク切れ） ^ a b 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室 「遺棄化学兵器処理事業の経緯」（2010年8月25日閲覧） ^ Ministry of Trade and Industry of Ethiopia : Chemical Industries Support and Chemical Convention Implementing Department （2011年10月2日閲覧） ^ 常石（2003年）、180頁。 ^ a b c 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室「中国における遺棄化学兵器処理事業」（リンク切れ） ^ 常石（2003年）、246頁。 ^ a b 内閣府大臣官房遺棄化学兵器処理担当室 「各事業別―これまでの遺棄化学兵器発掘・回収事業状況（ハルバ嶺を除く中国各地域の発掘・回収事業等）」（2013年1月7日） ^ 常石（2003年）、247頁。 ^ 荒廃した生活環境の先端技術による回復研究連絡委員会（2001年）、54頁。 ^ 外務省 「第2章 地域別に見た外交 日中関係」『平成16年版外交青書』 時事画報社、2004年。 ^ 内閣府大臣官房遺棄化学兵器処理担当室 遺棄化学兵器等 ^ 遺棄化学兵器の安全な廃棄技術に向けて 日本学術会議 平成13年7月23日 P40 ^ 内閣府大臣官房遺棄化学兵器処理担当室 「ハルバ嶺における試掘調査について」（2010年8月25日閲覧） ^ 遺棄化学兵器処理事業に関する有識者会議 「第9回議事概要（平成24年2月23日開催）」 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室（2013年1月7日閲覧） ^ 「遺棄化学兵器処理「ハルバ嶺」凍結 政府方針、事業費を大幅削減」 産経ニュース 2009年1月23日 ^ 内閣府大臣官房遺棄化学兵器処理担当室 「移動式処理事業について」（2013年1月7日） ^ a b 遺棄化学兵器処理事業に関する有識者会議 「第9回議事概要（平成24年2月23日開催）―会議資料」 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室（2013年1月7日閲覧） ^ 外務省 「中国における遺棄化学兵器の廃棄に関する化学兵器禁止機関執行理事会の決定」 2012年2月16日（2013年1月7日閲覧） ^ 第162回国会 参議院外交防衛委員会 2005年7月5日、政府参考人・西宮伸一の発言。 ^ 第162回国会 参議院外交防衛委員会 2005年7月5日、参議院議員山谷えり子及び政府参考人天野之弥の発言。 ^ 喜多由浩 「中国“遺棄化学兵器”問題 スクープ第4弾：政府が二年前に入手していた化学兵器引渡し文書」『正論』2006年9月号。 ^ 第166回国会 衆議院内閣委員会 2007年5月16日、内閣官房長官塩崎恭久発言。 ^ 前掲 第162回国会 参議院外交防衛委員会 2005年7月5日での山谷えり子及び政府参考人西宮伸一発言。 ^ 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室「中国広東省広州市黄埔区における遺棄化学兵器発掘・回収事業の終了について」、2007年。（リンク切れ） ^ 遺棄化学兵器処理事業に関する有識者会議 「第3回議事概要（平成21年6月2日開催）」 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室（2013年1月7日閲覧） ^ 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室「最近の一部の新聞報道について」、2006年。 ^ 遺棄化学兵器処理事業に関する有識者会議 「第1回議事概要（平成20年9月17日開催）」 内閣府遺棄化学兵器処理担当室（2013年1月7日閲覧） ^ 在パナマ日本国大使館「パナマ共和国政治情勢（2004年11月）」 ^ 荒廃した生活環境の先端技術による回復研究連絡委員会（2001年）、18頁。 参考文献 編集 荒廃した生活環境の先端技術による回復研究連絡委員会『遺棄化学兵器の安全な廃棄技術に向けて』日本学術会議、2001年。 常石敬一 『化学兵器犯罪』 講���社〈講談社現代新書〉、2003年。 Lindsay, John Chemical Weapons Tests in Panama and U.S. Responsibility, FOR USA（米国友和会）, 1998. 関連項目 編集 大久野島 - 旧日本軍の化学兵器生産拠点だった島。 ジョンストン島 - アメリカ軍の化学兵器関連施設があった島。現在は立ち入り禁止。 大日本帝国の化学兵器 外部リンク 編集 内閣府大臣官房遺棄化学兵器処理担当室 - 日本の内閣府大臣官房の担当部署

遺棄化学兵器問題 - Wikipedia

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil pays off its debt to UN and other multilateral institutions

Brazil announced Thursday that it had paid off its debts to major international institutions, including the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization, and the World Health Organization. In a joint statement issued by the Foreign Affairs and Planning ministries, Brazil said it had repaid BRL 4.6 billion (USD 937 million) in debt to international institutions in 2023. This includes BRL 289 million to the UN and a separate BRL 1.1 billion to UN peacekeeping operations.

The payments ensure that Brazil will maintain its voting rights in bodies such as the UN, as well as restore its right to vote in the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

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[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

#CorpMedia #Idiocracy #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #DemExit #FeelTheBern

Turkish Strikes Target Kurdish Allies of U.S. in Iraq and Syria [UPDATES]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/world/middleeast/turkey-kurds-airstrikes-iraq-syria.html

Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday in an unusually intense operation that presented a new complication for the United States’ military campaign against the Islamic State...

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https://newpol.org/revolution-defended-rojava-now/

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https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/36

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https://redflag.org.au/node/5116

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https://lefteast.org/afrin-will-not-be-alone-excerpts-from-the-call-for-solidarity-by-the-democratic-administration-of-rojava/

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https://jacobin.com/2018/02/afrin-kurdistan-syria-turkey-erdogan-is-war

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https://itsgoingdown.org/our-destinies-are-linked-joseph-daher-on-the-syrian-revolution/

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https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/syria-latest-planting-trees-internationalist-commune-bashar-al-assad-isis-middle-east-a8437646.html

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https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16735844.women-revolution-inside-kurdish-rojava-revolution/

RELATED UPDATE: Fifteen Months of Death: Pro-Government Casualties of the Syrian Civil War

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2018/10/03/fifteen-months-death-pro-government-casualties-syrian-civil-war/

RELATED UPDATE: Demand Utopia Presents: Talks On Mutual Aid Disaster Relief & Rojava Revolution

https://itsgoingdown.org/demand-utopia-presents-talks-on-mutual-aid-disaster-relief-rojava-revolution/

RELATED UPDATE: 'Don't abandon the Kurds', British officials tell US over Syria troop withdrawal

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/13/dont-abandon-kurds-british-officials-tell-us-syria-troop-withdrawal/

RELATED UPDATE: Sunday, July 21: Livestream Facebook Dialogue Between Venezuelan, Syrian and Iranian Socialists

https://newpol.org/sunday-livestream-facebook-dialogue-between-venezuelan-syrian-and-iranian-socialists/

RELATED UPDATE: British revolutionaries in Syria say they will defy Home Office's new terrorism laws

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/27/british-revolutionaries-syria-say-will-defy-home-offices-new/

RELATED UPDATE: Hevrin Khalaf and the spirit of the democratic nation

https://roarmag.org/essays/hevrin-khalaf-interview/

RELATED UPDATE: One Year Since the Turkish Invasion of Rojava: An Interview with Tekoşîna Anarşîst

https://crimethinc.com/2020/10/11/one-year-since-the-turkish-invasion-of-rojava-an-interview-with-tekosina-anarsist-on-anarchist-participation-in-the-revolutionary-experiment-in-northeast-syria

RELATED UPDATE: Ten years since the great Arab revolutions

https://redflag.org.au/article/ten-years-great-arab-revolutions

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https://internationalistcommune.com/defending-rojava-means-defending-abdullah-ocalan/

RELATED UPDATE: In Rojava, considering a literature of the revolution

https://www.kedistan.net/2021/06/29/rojava-literature-of-revolution/

RELATED UPDATE: Celebrating the Rojava Revolution: A Reading List

https://roarmag.org/2021/07/19/rojava-revolution-reading-list/

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https://www.kedistan.net/2022/02/04/not-let-isis-and-turkish-state/

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https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/knk-issues-public-call-demanding-the-opcw-to-investigate-turkey-s-use-of-chemical-weapons-59596

RELATED UPDATE: Turkey Is Starving the Rojava Revolution

https://jacobin.com/2022/11/rojava-turkey-attacks-water-shortage-cooperative-economy

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https://links.org.au/statements-condemn-turkeys-unjust-attacks-north-east-syria-and-northern-iraq

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https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/international-voices-against-the-erdogan-regime-s-war-against-the-kurds-63851

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https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-nato-syria-bucharest-turkey-bb1980f532b5a44cbc693897c853d9f1

RELATED UPDATE: Northeast Syria: Turkish Strikes Exacerbate Humanitarian Crisis

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/12/07/northeast-syria-turkish-strikes-exacerbate-humanitarian-crisis

RELATED UPDATE: Syrian Democratic Forces warn against increasing ISIS attacks

https://medyanews.net/syrian-democratic-forces-warn-against-increasing-isis-attacks/

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https://lefteast.org/lessons-from-rojava-revolution/

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https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23301447.turkey-syria-600-killed-powerful-earthquake/

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https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4174991/isis-attacks-syria-truffle-hunters-are-deadliest-year

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https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/from-abya-yala-to-kurdistan-the-peoples-organize-the-revolution-65760

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https://anfenglishmobile.com/rojava-syria/sdf-announces-the-outcome-of-turkish-attacks-against-north-east-syria-in-february-65788

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https://anfenglishmobile.com/rojava-syria/sdf-fighter-killed-in-turkish-attack-in-ain-issa-65794

[trendingnews19]

The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog says he will ask Syria’s new leaders to grant investigators access to the country to work on identifying perpetrators of attacks that killed and injured thousands of people during the civil war. Addressing a special session of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday, Fernando Arias said his office had seen positive signals from Syria about the need to rid the country of chemical weapons but no formal request had been received. The 41-member executive council of the OPCW met in The Hague to discuss next steps after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s sudden toppling. Speaking before the meeting, the ambassador of the United States to the OPCW, Nicole Shampaine, said Washington viewed al-Assad’s fall as an extraordinary chance to rid Syria of chemical weapons. “We want to finish the job, and it’s really an opportunity for Syria’s new leadership to work with the international community, work with the OPCW to get the job done once and for all,” Shampaine said. Arias said the evolving political landscape in Syria offered an opportunity for the organisation to finally obtain clarifications on the full extent and scope of the Syrian chemical weapons programme after 11 years of inspections. Warning of proliferation risks, he said, “Victims deserve that perpetrators that we identified be brought to justice” after the multiple use of chemical weapons during Syria’s 13-year war. Arias will seek access for the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team. That unit and a joint United Nations-OPCW mechanism have already identified Syria’s armed forces as having used chemical weapons nine times from 2015 to 2017. The culprits of many attacks remain unidentified. ‘Act with impunity’ Syria joined the OPCW in 2013 under a US-Russian deal and 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed by the international community. But after more than a decade of inspections, Syria still possesses banned munitions. Al-Assad-ruled Syria and its military ally Russia always denied using chemical weapons during the war. With Syria still in disorder with myriad armed groups around the shattered country, the OPCW seeks to act quickly to prevent any chemical weapons being used. Echoing such concerns, Germany’s ambassador to the OPCW, Thomas Schieb, said: “Relevant storehouses and facilities need to be identified, secured and opened for inspection by the OPCW.” “We will judge the new Syrian authorities by their action. Now is the opportunity to finally and verifiably destroy the remnants of al-Assad’s chemical weapons programme.” Israeli strikes Meanwhile, Israel has continued to pound Syria, striking ports and missile warehouses in Latakia and Tartous as their ground troops move deeper into a demilitarised area in the Syrian Golan Heights, in effect expanding their occupation of the area. Israeli forces have launched more than 480 air strikes on Syrian sites since the fall of al-Assad on Sunday, continuing a campaign it began while the toppled leader was in power. The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is deeply concerned by “the recent and extensive violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “The secretary-general is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli air strikes on several locations in Syria, stressing the need, the urgent need, to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country,” Stephane Dujarric told reporters. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to reporters on the tarmac before his departure from Jordan’s Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Reuters] Defending Israel’s actions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the strikes are to ensure that the Syrian army’s military equipment does not fall into the “wrong hands”. Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator and president of the US/Middle East Project, said Israel is taking advantage of the moment to “debilitate” any future Syrian authority “of its ability to defend itself”. “I think the signal Israel thinks it’s sending is: ‘We’re here. We’re the regional policemen. … We can act with impunity,’” Levy told Al Jazeera. The strikes were carried out as hundreds of people attended the funeral of slain Syrian activist Mazen al-Hamada, whose body was recently found in Sednaya Prison, a facility outside Damascus that Amnesty International called a “human slaughterhouse”. While it is thought that all detainees have been released, thousands remain unaccounted for. Syria’s new administration has called on citizens to apply to join the police force, pledging to institute “rule of law” after years of abuses under al-Assad. Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Vall, reporting from Damascus, said Syria’s new rulers have “enormous” tasks ahead. Apart from political and security concerns, the country is facing an “economic mess”, he said. “People can’t wait. This country is at rock bottom because of what’s going on in the economy,” Vall said. atOptions = 'key' : '6c396458fda3ada2fbfcbb375349ce34', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 60, 'width' : 468, 'params' : ;

[thesocialchronicles]

The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog says he will ask Syria’s new leaders to grant investigators access to the country to work on identifying perpetrators of attacks that killed and injured thousands of people during the civil war. Addressing a special session of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday, Fernando Arias said his office had seen positive signals from Syria about the need to rid the country of chemical weapons but no formal request had been received. The 41-member executive council of the OPCW met in The Hague to discuss next steps after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s sudden toppling. Speaking before the meeting, the ambassador of the United States to the OPCW, Nicole Shampaine, said Washington viewed al-Assad’s fall as an extraordinary chance to rid Syria of chemical weapons. “We want to finish the job, and it’s really an opportunity for Syria’s new leadership to work with the international community, work with the OPCW to get the job done once and for all,” Shampaine said. Arias said the evolving political landscape in Syria offered an opportunity for the organisation to finally obtain clarifications on the full extent and scope of the Syrian chemical weapons programme after 11 years of inspections. Warning of proliferation risks, he said, “Victims deserve that perpetrators that we identified be brought to justice” after the multiple use of chemical weapons during Syria’s 13-year war. Arias will seek access for the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team. That unit and a joint United Nations-OPCW mechanism have already identified Syria’s armed forces as having used chemical weapons nine times from 2015 to 2017. The culprits of many attacks remain unidentified. ‘Act with impunity’ Syria joined the OPCW in 2013 under a US-Russian deal and 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed by the international community. But after more than a decade of inspections, Syria still possesses banned munitions. Al-Assad-ruled Syria and its military ally Russia always denied using chemical weapons during the war. With Syria still in disorder with myriad armed groups around the shattered country, the OPCW seeks to act quickly to prevent any chemical weapons being used. Echoing such concerns, Germany’s ambassador to the OPCW, Thomas Schieb, said: “Relevant storehouses and facilities need to be identified, secured and opened for inspection by the OPCW.” “We will judge the new Syrian authorities by their action. Now is the opportunity to finally and verifiably destroy the remnants of al-Assad’s chemical weapons programme.” Israeli strikes Meanwhile, Israel has continued to pound Syria, striking ports and missile warehouses in Latakia and Tartous as their ground troops move deeper into a demilitarised area in the Syrian Golan Heights, in effect expanding their occupation of the area. Israeli forces have launched more than 480 air strikes on Syrian sites since the fall of al-Assad on Sunday, continuing a campaign it began while the toppled leader was in power. The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is deeply concerned by “the recent and extensive violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “The secretary-general is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli air strikes on several locations in Syria, stressing the need, the urgent need, to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country,” Stephane Dujarric told reporters. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to reporters on the tarmac before his departure from Jordan’s Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Reuters] Defending Israel’s actions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the strikes are to ensure that the Syrian army’s military equipment does not fall into the “wrong hands”. Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator and president of the US/Middle East Project, said Israel is taking advantage of the moment to “debilitate” any future Syrian authority “of its ability to defend itself”. “I think the signal Israel thinks it’s sending is: ‘We’re here. We’re the regional policemen. … We can act with impunity,’” Levy told Al Jazeera. The strikes were carried out as hundreds of people attended the funeral of slain Syrian activist Mazen al-Hamada, whose body was recently found in Sednaya Prison, a facility outside Damascus that Amnesty International called a “human slaughterhouse”. While it is thought that all detainees have been released, thousands remain unaccounted for. Syria’s new administration has called on citizens to apply to join the police force, pledging to institute “rule of law” after years of abuses under al-Assad. Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Vall, reporting from Damascus, said Syria’s new rulers have “enormous” tasks ahead. Apart from political and security concerns, the country is facing an “economic mess”, he said. “People can’t wait. This country is at rock bottom because of what’s going on in the economy,” Vall said. https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-12T100020Z_603721140_RC25MBA15JF9_RTRMADP_3_YEAR-END-2024-PHOTOS-MIDDLE-EAST-1734006936.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440 2024-12-12 20:57:10