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President ratifies the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Act

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has ratified the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Act.

The law prohibits the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and defines the procedures for disposing of them in the Maldives. It outlines the prohibition of chemical weapons in line with the United Nations Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, to which the Maldives is a party.

The law mandates the relevant ministry to designate a Chemical Weapons Unit to govern the enforcement of the law. In addition, the law also defines the powers and responsibilities of the body. Upon ratification of the law, only the parties licensed by the Chemical Weapons Unit will be permitted to import and export any chemicals that fall under the law's purview. It also grants six months from its ratification to the Chemical Weapons Unit to draw up guidelines and policies outlined in the law.