2+Cuba

**Country:** Cuba **Topic:** Biological and Chemical Weapons **Committee:** 2 **Period:** 3
 * Name : ** Erin S.

In the past few years, the use of chemical and biological weapons has increased dramatically. "These weapons include but are not limited to nuclear, ricin, nerve gas, mustard gas, and weapons which spread an organism such as anthrax"(SOCOMUN). Many countries trade research on chemical and biological weapons for information on the subject. Various chemical and biological weapons are being used by different terrorist groups. Al Qaeada sent letters laced with anthrax to different public figures such as NBC Nightly News. In August, 2006 eight men were arrested for conspiring to construct and detonate an explosive device aboard seven transatlantic flights operated by airlines including American Airlines and Air Canada.
 * __Background__**

The United Nations published the Chemical Weapons Convention and approved in the UN General Assembly on November 30th, 1992. There, a resolution was made entitled the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. This prevents the development, production, acquisition, transfer and implementation of chemical weapon technology. This individual resolution has destroyed over 27,000 metric tonnes of chemical weapon material. The United Nations Special Commission is also involved with destroying chemical and biological weapons. They have destroyed almost 40,000 chemical devices in Iraq's possession. They destroyed these devices safely. The United Nations invented the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which does not allow the creation of nuclear materials, it exterminates all existing nuclear material, and has the nuclear power plants being used for peaceful causes for nuclear energy. 189 countries have ratified this document, not including Cuba.
 * __UN Invovlement__**

Cuba signed the Treaty of Tlatelolco but has not ratified it.Many nations accuse Cuba of having a program of research on biological warfare agents. Cuba will never admit to having possession of biological weapons. Whether they do or don't isn't the question. Cuba thinks that if they sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty then they would have to eliminate all nuclear arms, if they had any. Cuba has agreed to participate in the Latin America Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. "The International Atomic Energy Agency spent about $12 million on nuclear technical assistance projects for Cuba ranging from the year 1963 through 1996"(Kirstensen 1). Cuba agreed with the IAEA to apply safeguards to their nuclear facilities. Cuba is in the process of finishing up two new nuclear power plants. Cuba has the Law Against Terrorism Acts which prohibits a person to be in possession of chemical and biological weapons. Anyone who violates this act will be scentenced to between 10 and 30 years of imprisonment.
 * __Country Policy__**