consensus of the international community for a global ban into an effective convention. As I have said before: time is not on our side. Reports meant to be alarming on a rapid spread of chemical weapons are indeed alarming. We are called upon to prevent these ghastly weapons from becoming an accepted means of warfare. Determined action is called for. Interim measures like export controls to prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons, even when effectively applied, are clearly not sufficient. The same goes for the Geneva Protocol, which has proven to be painfully inadequate. The only means of establishing a global accepted norm is to make possession of chemical weapons illegal. To renounce the option of acquiring chemical weapons will not find sufficient incentive as long as arsenals of chemical weapons continue to exist. For almost four years I have hoped that we would be able to conclude a convention soon, my hopes not being founded on illusions but on an assessment of the state of work in our negotiations. I always believed in a common resolve to come to terms with the issues involved in our negotiations. I am convinced that it would have been possible. Let me again stress that there is no reason in my view why we should not approach our task of concluding a convention in as ambitious a manner as we see now being displayed in other forums, and for which we are grateful. As I said in my previous plenary statement on 8 March: "Otherwise we risk being the last to change in a world of change, or those who did not change in time". I think we all know that the necessary political and material prerequisites for the timely conclusion of our task of drafting a 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing international cooperation and diplomacy to prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons. The author emphasizes the need for a global ban and convention to make possession of chemical weapons illegal, highlighting the urgency of the issue. The text does not mention economic development, natural resources, or environmental issues, and instead focuses on international relations and security.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, International trade