Chemical weapons are considered illegal across the globe, but many countries continue to secretly use them in war zones, including the U.S. So what exactly are chemical weapons? And how do we monitor them? » Subscribe to NowThis World: http://go.nowth.is/World_Subscribe Learn More: United Nations Office For Disarmament Affairs http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Chemical/ "The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is the first disarmament agreement negotiated within a multilateral framework that provides for the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction under universally applied international control." Arms Control Association: Chemical Weapons Convention Signatories and States-Parties http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/cwcsig Fact sheets and briefs The Chemical Weapons Ban Facts and Figures http://www.opcw.org/news-publications/publications/facts-and-figures/ "This brief overview of the CWC and of the OPCW provides an understanding of how the States Parties to this disarmament treaty are transforming their solemn pledge to renounce chemical weapons into a verifiable reality." The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation: Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction http://armscontrolcenter.org/issues/biochem/fact_sheet_cw/ UN News Centre: Ninety-Six Percent of Syria's Declared Chemical Weapons Destroyed - UN-OPCW Mission Chief http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48642#.VErSAovF_ZE Watch More: How Sarin Gas Works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5WZyp0Ewvc _________________________ NowThis World is dedicated to bringing you topical explainers about the world around you. Each week we’ll be exploring current stories in international news, by examining the facts, providing historical context, and outlining the key players involved. We’ll also highlight powerful countries, ideologies, influential leaders, and ongoing global conflicts that are shaping the current landscape of the international community across the globe today. More from NowThis: » Subscribe to NowThis News: http://go.nowth.is/News_Subscribe » Like NowThis World on Facebook: https://go.nowth.is/World_Facebook » Tweet @NowThisNews on Twitter: http://go.nowth.is/News_Twitter » Connect with Judah: Follow @judah_robinson on Twitter – Facebook: http://go.nowth.is/LikeJudah » Connect with Versha: Follow @versharma on Twitter – Facebook: http://go.nowth.is/LikeVersha http://www.youtube.com/nowthisworld