The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022

• The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 has been unanimously passed in Lok Sabha.
• It seeks to amend The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005

About the Act

• It prohibits making available funds, financial assets or economic resources for any prohibited activity in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
• It empower the Central Government to freeze, seize or attach funds or other financial assets or economic resources for preventing such financing
• It may also prohibit persons from making finances or related services available for the benefit of other persons in relation to any activity which is prohibited.

Need of the Act

• In recent times, the regulations relating to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems by international organisations have expanded”, and “the United Nations Security Council’s targeted financial sanctions and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force have mandated against financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems”.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

• This term is usually considered to have been used first by the leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1937 to refer to the aerial bombing of civilians in the Basque town of Guernica by German and Italian fascists in support of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005

• It prohibits unlawful activities (such as manufacturing, transport, or transfer) related to weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery.
• It defines “Biological weapons” as “microbial or other biological agents, or toxins…of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes; and weapons, equipment or delivery systems specially designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict”; and
• “Chemical weapons” as “toxic chemicals and their precursors” except where used for peaceful, protective, and certain specified military and law enforcement purposes; “munitions and devices specifically designed to cause death or other harm through the toxic properties of those toxic chemicals”; and any equipment specifically designed for use in connection with the employment of these munitions and devices.

International Provisions to control use of WMDs

• The use of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons is regulated by a number of international treaties and agreements.
• Among them are the Geneva Protocol, 1925, that banned the use of chemical and biological weapons; and the Biological Weapons Convention, 1972, and Chemical Weapons Convention, 1992, which put comprehensive bans on the biological and chemical weapons respectively.
• India has signed and ratified both the 1972 and 1992 treaties.

Exam Track

Prelims Take away

• Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005
• Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Geneva Protocol, 1925
• NTPT

Mains Track

Q The recently passed Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 aligns India with the International obligations regarding WMDs. Discuss