ABSTRACT
The growing militarization of the Middle East and North Africa point to one of the most pressing security concerns for Western Europe—the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The frameworks provided by international regimes such as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty do establish international norms and rules for the governance of WMDs. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, concerns about the control and accountability of the former superpower’s WMD arsenal have been paramount for European security. The possible transfer of nuclear technology and secrets is especially troubling since several states in North Africa and the Gulf region have ongoing programs to develop WMDs. The continued proliferation of WMDs and their delivery systems, especially to states with known ties to terrorist organizations, has created an impetus for collaborative defense planning and intelligence exchanges to counter such risks. The CWC is the first multilateral disarmament treaty that bans a whole category of WMDs.
