Algeria
Practice Relating to Rule 74. Chemical Weapons
Algeria’s Chemical Weapons Convention Law (2003) provides:
It is prohibited:
(a) To develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to anyone;
(b) To use chemical weapons;
(c) To engage in any military preparations to use chemical weapons;
(d) To assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under [the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention].
At the CDDH, Algeria supported the Philippine amendment (see
infra) because “it was a simple reaffirmation of the principles of positive humanitarian law”.
In 1992, during a debate in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly dealing mainly with the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, the negotiation of which had been concluded by the Conference on Disarmament, Algeria expressed “its traditional position” for a complete ban on chemical weapons and their use.
At the 1992 Session of the Conference on Disarmament, Algeria stated that it “has always been, and remains, in favour of a total ban on chemical weapons and their use”. It added:
Algeria is not developing and does not produce chemical weapons, and it is not seeking to acquire them. It remains profoundly convinced that the best way to curb the threat of these weapons is to banish them once and for all, by means of this international convention. In this regard, it will be Algeria’s honour and duty to be among the original signatories.
At the First Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, Algeria made statements in support of the object and purpose of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.