Parliament passes weapon of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment bill
Recently Parliament has passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Supply System (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022.
The Bill of 2022 amends the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act, 2005.
The Act prohibits illegal activities (such as manufacturing, transportation or transfer) related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
International treaties and agreements to control the use of WMD’s
- The bill prohibits individuals from financing any prohibited activity related to WMD and their supply system.
- In order to prevent individuals from financing such activities, the Central Government may freeze, confiscate or attach their money, financial assets or economic resources.
- Targeted financial sanctions by the United Nations Security Council and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mandate action against WMDS and its supply systems to finance the spread. Therefore, this Bill became necessary to fulfill the mandate of these institutions.
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
- There is no single and official definition of WMD in international law. Typically, these include nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons.
- India’s WMD Act of 2005 defines weapons of mass destruction as biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.
International treaties and agreements to control the use of WMD’s –
- Geneva Protocol, 1925: It banned the use of chemical and biological weapons. India has ratified it.
- The Biological Weapons Convention, 1972 and the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1992: These impose broad restrictions on biological and chemical weapons respectively. India has signed and ratified both the conventions.
- The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to regulate the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons. India is not a signatory to NPT and CTBT.
Source: The Hindu
