The States Parties to this Convention,
Determined to act with a view to achieving effective
progress towards general and complete disarmament, including the
prohibition and elimination of all types of weapons of mass destruction,
and convinced that the prohibition of the development, production and
stockpiling of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons and
their elimination, through effective measures, will facilitate the
achievement of general and complete disarmament under strict and
effective international control,
Recognising the important significance of the Protocol
for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or
Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed at Geneva
on 17 June 1925, and conscious also of the contribution which the said
Protocol has already made and continues to make, to mitigating the
horrors of war,
Reaffirming their adherence to the principles and
objectives of that Protocol and calling upon all States to comply
strictly with them,
Recalling that the General Assembly of the United
Nations has repeatedly condemned all actions contrary to the principles
and objectives of the Geneva Protocol of 17 June 1925,
Desiring to contribute to the strengthening of
confidence between peoples and the general improvement of the
international atmosphere,
Desiring also to contribute to the realisation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Convinced of the importance and urgency of eliminating
from the arsenals of States, through effective measures, such dangerous
weapons of mass destruction as those using chemical or bacteriological
(biological) agents,
Recognising that an agreement on the prohibition of
bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons represents a first
possible step towards the achievement of agreement on effective measures
also for the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling
of chemical weapons, and determined to continue negotiations to that
end,
Determined, for the sake of all mankind, to exclude
completely the possibility of bacteriological (biological) agents and
toxins being used as weapons,
Convinced that such use would be repugnant to the
conscience of mankind and that no effort should be spared to minimise
this risk,
Have agreed as follows: