19 December 2022

Annual workshop reviews progress in implementation of Article XI (OPCW News)

The Member States of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) participated in an annual Review and Evaluation Workshop of the Components of an Agreed Framework for the Full Implementation of Article XI of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on 14 November 2022 at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands.

18 December 2022

Law prohibiting chemical weapons ratified allowing hefty fines (The Edition)

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, president of the Maldives, ratified the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Act on December 18, allowing heavy fines to be levied for stockpiling, or use of chemical weapons.

17 December 2022

BGCAPP: Sept. 2023 completion eyed for destruction of U.S. chemical weapons stockpile (Richmond Register)

During the Dec. 14, 2022 meeting of the Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission (CAC) and the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board (CDCAB), it was estimated that the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant’s (BGCAPP) final chemical weapon destruction campaign will be completed alongside the destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile by Sept. 30, 2023.

9 December 2022

Benzyl trichloroacetimidates as derivatizing agents for phosphonic acids related to nerve agents by EI-GC-MS during OPCW proficiency test scenarios (Nature)

Recently, the deliberate use of organophosphorus-based nerve agents (OPNAs) in successful and failed assassination attempts in the world has resulted in a resurgence of research efforts towards the development of medical countermeasures against these lethal chemicals, methods for their decontamination, and more effective, alternative ways for their analysis and detection by various analytical methods.

7 December 2022

CMC Pharmaceuticals Awarded Sequential Phase II SBIR Grant to Continue Pharmaceutical Development of a Medical Countermeasure to Nerve Agents (BioSpace)

CMC Pharmaceuticals has been awarded a Sequential Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) grant from the U.S. Defense Department’s (“DoD”) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), in collaboration with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The award funds the continued development of a promising medical countermeasure (“MCM”) for nerve agents that contain a stable, fixed-dose combination formulation of atropine and scopolamine. 

5 December 2022

Significant Progress Made Gathering Evidence on ISIL/Da’esh Crimes in Iraq, but Domestic Laws Needed, Investigating Head Tells Security Council (United Nations: Meeting Coverage and Press Releases)

The Team’s investigations into the development and use of chemical and biological weapons by ISIL/Da’esh have notably progressed, he continued.  Evidence collected continues to suggest that ISIL/Dae’sh manufactured and produced chemical rockets and mortars, ammunition, warheads and improvised explosive devices, in addition to the development, testing, weaponization and deployment of a range of chemical agents highlighted in the last report.

6 December 2022

Syria Still Avoiding Full Cooperation with OPCW on Chemical Weapons Question, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Tells Security Council (ReliefWeb)

Syria continues to avoid full cooperation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to urgently address information missing from its submitted declarations, including providing details on the unauthorized movement of two cylinders related to the 2018 chemical weapon incident in Douma, the top United Nations official for disarmament told the Security Council November 6.

4 December 2022

Kyiv Claims Russia Used Banned Chemical Weapon (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty)

The Ukrainian Navy has accused Russia of using a banned chemical weapon against Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine. The reports could not be verified, and there was no immediate reaction from Moscow.