Contents

SIPRI Yearbook 2018

Contents
Preface
Abbreviations and conventions
- Conventions
- Geographical regions and subregions
SIPRI Yearbook online
Introduction
1. Introduction: International stability and human security in 2017
- I. Nuclear weapons in international politics
- II. International tensions and shifting dynamics of power
- III. Human security and insecurity
- IV. The prospects for international institutions
Part I. Armed conflict and conflict management, 2017
2. Armed conflicts and peace processes
- Overview
- I. Tracking armed conflicts and peace processes in 2017
- II. Armed conflict in the Americas
- III. Armed conflict in Asia and Oceania
- IV. Armed conflict in Europe
- V. Armed conflict in the Middle East and North Africa
- VI. Armed conflict in sub-Saharan Africa
3. Peace operations and conflict management
- Overview
- I. Global trends and developments in peace operations
- II. Regional trends and developments in peace operations
- III. Multilateral non-peace operations
- IV. Table of multilateral peace operations, 2017
Part II. Military spending and armaments, 2017
4. Military expenditure
- Overview
- I. Global developments in military expenditure
- II. Debt, oil price and military expenditure
- III. Transparency in military expenditure
5. International arms transfers and developments in arms production
- Overview
- I. Developments in arms transfers, 2017
- II. Transparency in arms transfers
- III. The financial value of states’ arms exports
- IV. Arms production and military services
6. World nuclear forces
- Overview
- I. US nuclear forces
- II. Russian nuclear forces
- III. British nuclear forces
- IV. French nuclear forces
- V. Chinese nuclear forces
- VI. Indian nuclear forces
- VII. Pakistani nuclear forces
- VIII. Israeli nuclear forces
- IX. North Korea’s military nuclear capabilities
- X. Global stocks and production of fissile materials, 2017
- XI. Nuclear explosions, 1945–2017
Part III. Non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, 2017
7. Nuclear disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation
- Overview
- I. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- II. Russian–United States nuclear arms control
- III. Developments in multilateral nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
- IV. International non-proliferation sanctions against North Korea
- V. Implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Iran
8. Chemical and biological security threats
- Overview
- I. Allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria
- II. Allegations of use of chemical weapons in Iraq and by North Korea
- III. Chemical arms control and disarmament
- IV. Biological arms control
9. Conventional arms control
- Overview
- I. The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
- II. The Anti‑Personnel Mines Convention
- III. The Convention on Cluster Munitions
10. Dual-use and arms trade controls
- Overview
- I. The Arms Trade Treaty
- II. Multilateral embargoes on arms and dual-use items
- III. The export control regimes
- IV. Controls on intangible transfers of technology and additive manufacturing
Annexes
Annex A. Arms control and disarmament agreements
- I. Universal treaties
- II. Regional treaties
- III. Bilateral treaties
Annex B. International security cooperation bodies
- I. Bodies with a global focus or membership
- II. Bodies with a regional focus or membership
- III. Strategic trade control regimes
Annex C. Chronology 2017
About the authors
Errata
- Errata

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SIPRI Yearbook 2018

I. Allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria

Chapter:: 8. Chemical and biological security threats
Source:: SIPRI Yearbook 2018
Author(s):: Dan Smith

The United Nations, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), various governments and civil society continued to examine allegations of chemical weapon (CW) use in Syria throughout 2017. However, the UN Security Council and the OPCW Executive Council remained deadlocked on the question of Syrian Government responsibility for CW use. This section describes the ad hoc international arrangements used to evaluate Syria’s declarations under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and reviews the reports of the OPCW Fact-finding Mission (FFM).¹ It also describes developments in Syria in 2017, including the use of sarin at Khan Shaykhun on 4 April, which prompted the United States to launch retaliatory Tomahawk cruise missile strikes against a Syrian airbase. Finally, the section discusses the likely future focus of the work of the OPCW in Syria and the issue of CW-related sanctions.

Citation (MLA):: Smith, Dan. "8. Chemical and biological security threats." SIPRI Yearbook. SIPRI. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2025. <https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198821557/sipri-9780198821557-chapter-8-div1-008.xml>.
Citation (APA):: Smith, D. (2016). 8. Chemical and biological security threats. In SIPRI, SIPRI Yearbook 2018: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 Mar. 2025, from https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198821557/sipri-9780198821557-chapter-8-div1-008.xml
Citation (Chicago):: Smith, Dan. "8. Chemical and biological security threats." In SIPRI Yearbook 2018: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security, SIPRI. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016). Retrieved 28 Mar. 2025, from https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198821557/sipri-9780198821557-chapter-8-div1-008.xml

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