The Hague Ethical Guidelines: applying the norms of the practice of chemistry to support the Chemical Weapons Convention

Abstract

Chemicals have essential roles in the advancement of human well-being and for a thriving global economy but at the same time many can be used as weapons or for making them. As the events in Syria over the past few years have shown, in spite of the progress toward complete destruction of the world's declared stocks of chemical weapons, they remain a threat to global peace and security. The global chemistry community can play an important role in helping to prevent their re-emergence. In March and September 2015, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons hosted two workshops with representatives from academia, industry, and chemical societies to explore the development of ethical guidelines for chemistry professionals. As a result, in October 2015 The Hague Ethical Guidelines were published to provide a framework for promoting the debate on the vital dimension of ethics in relation to chemical disarmament and non-proliferation on all levels of education, research, and practice of the chemical sciences and industries.