Chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, Professor Brian Cantor, a panel of speakers will discuss the current issues around chemical weapons and a proposal for action.

Synopsis

The use of chemical weapons in Syria, Iraq, Malaysia and particularly in the UK have brought considerable attention in our media to the dangers such weapons pose to civilised society, but what are these weapons, why are they being used and how can the further development and use of such weapons best be prevented?

In this lecture several of the authors of Preventing Chemical Weapons: Arms Control and Disarmament as the Sciences Converge, published in August by the Royal Society of Chemistry, will discuss these issues and how the scientific community and the general public should be involved in the discussion.

In particular we review the possibilities for progress at the 4th Five-Year Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention due to start on November 21st in The Hague. The Review Conference is the unique international platform to develop the Convention in the longer term.

Universities are no longer ivory towers and play a key role in the emergence of the knowledge economy to tackle some of the challenges of the 21st Century. Through events and lectures the University of Bradford aims to share its knowledge and engage in conversations with the public on some of these challenges.

Programme

Welcome and Introductions
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Cantor

Introduction of Book Series
Professor Diana Anderson

Science and the 4th Review Conference of the CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention)
Professor Malcolm Dando

The Current Unstable International Security System and the development and use of chemical weapons by State and non-State actors
Professor Paul Rogers

Riot control agents and delivery mechanisms
Dr Michael Crowley

Advances in life and chemical sciences and dangers of their misuse: the case of incapacitating agents to attack the central nervous system
Professor Malcolm Dando

Advances in life and chemical sciences: Overview of societal benefits including: progress on protection, identification and treatment of chemical weapons
Dr Lijun Shang

Proposals for action by States and civil society at the 4th CWC Review Conference and beyond
Dr Michael Crowley

Questions and discussion
Chaired by Professor Brian Cantor