On this day April 4 1984 President Ronald Reagan called for a worldwide agreement to ban the production and use of chemical weapons. Speaking during a televised news conference Reagan urged the global community to come together and eliminate one of the most dangerous classes of weapons from modern warfare.
He announced that Vice President George H W Bush would present the United States proposal to the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva. Reagan emphasized that any agreement must include strong verification measures to ensure that all participating countries would comply. This announcement came at a time of heightened concern about chemical weapons being used in conflicts such as the Iran Iraq War. Reagan’s proposal became part of a larger international effort that would eventually lead to the Chemical Weapons Convention signed in the 1990s.
Fun fact: Reagan’s push for this treaty came during his broader campaign for arms control which also included talks with the Soviet Union on reducing nuclear weapons.
Trivia question: Who did President Reagan assign to deliver the United States chemical weapons proposal to the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva?
He announced that Vice President George H W Bush would present the United States proposal to the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva. Reagan emphasized that any agreement must include strong verification measures to ensure that all participating countries would comply. This announcement came at a time of heightened concern about chemical weapons being used in conflicts such as the Iran Iraq War. Reagan’s proposal became part of a larger international effort that would eventually lead to the Chemical Weapons Convention signed in the 1990s.
Fun fact: Reagan’s push for this treaty came during his broader campaign for arms control which also included talks with the Soviet Union on reducing nuclear weapons.
Trivia question: Who did President Reagan assign to deliver the United States chemical weapons proposal to the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva?
