Section 2: Interpretation

2. Interpretation In this Act— “Authority” means the Mauritius National Chemical Weapons Authority established under section 3; “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Authority; “chemical weapon” means the following, together or separately— (a) toxic chemicals and their precursors, except where intended for purposes not prohibited under the Convention as long as the types and quantities are consistent with such purposes; (b) munitions and devices, specifically designed to cause death or other harm through the toxic properties of those toxic chemicals specified in paragraph (a), which would be released as a result of the employment of such munitions and devices; (c) any equipment specifically designed for use directly in connection with the employment of munitions and devices specified in paragraph (b); C12 – 1 [Issue 1] Chemical Weapons Convention Act “Convention” means the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction; “discrete organic chemical” means any chemical belonging to the class of chemical compounds consisting of all compounds of carbon, except for its oxides, sulfides and metal carbonates, identifiable by chemical name, by structural formula, if known, and Chemical Abstracts Service Registry number, if assigned; “member” means a member of the Authority and includes the Chairperson; “Minister” means the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of internal security and defence is assigned; “OPCW” means the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; “precursor” means any chemical reactant which takes part at any stage in the production by whatever method of a toxic chemical, including any key component of a binary or multi-component chemical system; “production” means the formation of a chemical through reaction; “purposes not prohibited under the Convention” means— (a) industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical or other peaceful purposes; (b) protective purposes, namely those purposes directly related to protection against toxic chemicals and to protection against chemical weapons; (c) military purposes not connected with the use of chemical weapons and not dependent on the use of the toxic properties of chemicals as a method of warfare; (d) law enforcement, including domestic riot control, purposes; “riot control agent” means any chemical not listed in a Schedule, which can produce rapidly in human sensory irritations or disabling physical effects which disappear within a short time following termination of exposure; “toxic chemical” means any chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to humans or animals. [Issue 1] C12 – 2 Revised Laws of Mauritius