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Scientific and engineering societies with memberships representing more
than 390,000 people, including 46 Nobel Laureates, have written the Senate
urging support and ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Excerpts from these letters written throughout the last seven months include:
“We urge that you expeditiously consider and ratify the Chemical Weapons
Convention. We believe that this treaty will reduce one of today’s
gravest threats to humans. As leaders of the scientific community, we
are convinced that this treaty is in the best interest of our own
citizens as well as citizens of the world. We therefore urge you to work
for ratification.”
American Association for the
Advancement of Science
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“[We] strongly support ... the Chemical Weapons Convention and urge
immediate ratification of the treaty.”
| American Chemical Society
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“We ... urge you to work as a matter of national urgency to bring
the Chemical Weapons Convention to a vote in the Senate before April
29 of this year. If the Senate fails to even vote on the CWC, after
three administrations have been its leading architects and proponents,
the United States will have surrendered by default its essential
leadership in combating the proliferation of chemical weapons.”
Chemist and Biochemist
members of the
National Academy of Sciences
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“AiChE believes the Chemical Weapons Convention is a technically sound
document that will enhance the security of the U.S. and other nations by reducing
the threat of destructive chemical
warfare. ... We urge
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you to bring this matter to the floor
and to vote for ratification prior to April 29.”
| American Institute of Chemical Engineers
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“Our knowledge of the chemical enterprise leads us, in solidarity
with our colleague organizations ... to believe that ratification of
the Chemical Weapons Convention is in the best interests of all people.
As the world’s preferred supplier of chemical products, the U.S. has much
to lose - both economically and morally - if we do not sign on.”
| Council for Chemical Research |
“With no military interest in chemical weapons, the United States
can only gain by ratifying the treaty .... U.S. accession is necessary
to give the CWC the force of an international norm against the
possession of chemical weapons. That norm alone would be powerful,
providing a basis for joint action to enforce compliance. But, in
addition, the CWC provides new tools for deterring and detecting
chemical weapons proliferation. [We] express support for ratification
of the CWC without delay so that the United States, which played a
leading role in developing this strong treaty, can participate fully
in its implementation.”
Carl Kaysen, Chairman,
Federation of American Scientists
and 46 Nobel Laureates
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“On behalf of the 40,000 members ... I am writing ... urging
immediate ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty.”
Allan Bromley, President
The American Physical Society
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