Britain Calls For International Conference On Chemical Weapons

The aftermath of a suspected chemical attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhounwhen more than 100 people died. (Picture: PA).

Britain is calling for a special conference of states which have signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention, in the wake of attacks in Syria, Iraq and Salisbury.

But the UK needs to receive support from 64 of the convention's 192 signatories to trigger a conference within 30 days. 

It has already secured the backing of 10 other states.

Announcing the move, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that the special conference would aim to "reaffirm and defend" the ban on use of the outlawed armaments and strengthen the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

"The world came together in 1997 to outlaw the development, stockpiling and use of these vile substances through the Chemical Weapons Convention," said Mr Johnson.

"But in recent years we have seen chemical attacks by the Assad regime in Syria, by Daesh in Syria and Iraq, in Malaysia and even here in the UK in Salisbury.

Co-sponsors of the letter want the conference to look at ways in which the international community can work together to strengthen and protect the convention in its role as a cornerstone of the international system of non-proliferation.

Mr Johnson added: "Today we have brought together 11 states to formally ask the director general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to convene a special Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

"We call on all right-thinking states to come together next month to take action to reaffirm and defend the ban on chemical weapons, and to strengthen the Organisation which we have entrusted with overseeing it."

The 10 countries backing the UK's call for a special conference are Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Romania and the US.