A holistic arms control (HAC) analytical framework was employed to explore the full range of mechanisms that could potentially be utilised to effectively regulate the development, stockpiling, transfer or use of riot control agents (RCAs), incapacitants and related means of delivery. From this analysis it is clear that the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its attendant regime are the most appropriate and probably the most receptive mechanisms, at least in the short term, for the discussion of these concerns and the development of appropriate policy responses. However, the response of CWC States Parties to these issues is by no means certain and parallel processes should be established to explore alternative regulatory mechanisms with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, UN drugs conventions, international and regional human rights instruments, international humanitarian law, and transfer controls potentially yielding positive results in the next five to ten year period. Other regimes that may well prove important in the longer term include: the international criminal court and other international criminal law entities; the UN Secretary General's investigation mechanism and other ad hoc UN investigatory mechanisms. A comprehensive HAC strategy for the regulation of RCAs, incapacitants and related means of delivery will also require active involvement of informed and activist civil society in societal verification; development and promotion of norms prohibiting the involvement of scientific and medical communities in weaponisation programmes intended for malign application; and far greater active engagement of such expert communities in relevant State and international policy development processes.

A holistic arms control (HAC) analytical framework was employed to explore the full range of mechanisms that could potentially be utilised to effectively regulate the development, stockpiling, transfer or use of riot control agents (RCAs), incapacitants and related means of delivery. From this analysis it is clear that the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its attendant regime are the most appropriate and probably the most receptive mechanisms, at least in the short term, for the discussion of these concerns and the development of appropriate policy responses. However, the response of CWC States Parties to these issues is by no means certain and parallel processes should be established to explore alternative regulatory mechanisms with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, UN drugs conventions, international and regional human rights instruments, international humanitarian law, and transfer controls potentially yielding positive results in the next five to ten year period. Other regimes that may well prove important in the longer term include: the international criminal court and other international criminal law entities; the UN Secretary General¿s investigation mechanism and other ad hoc UN investigatory mechanisms. A comprehensive HAC strategy for the regulation of RCAs, incapacitants and related means of delivery will also require active involvement of informed and activist civil society in societal verification; development and promotion of norms prohibiting the involvement of scientific and medical communities in weaponisation programmes intended for malign application; and far greater active engagement of such expert communities in relevant State and international policy development processes.

Le handicap psychique est une expression française qui s’est imposée récemment, mais qui fait l’objet de diverses acceptions. Nous le situons dans le contexte très large des vulnérabilités et dans celui plus restreint des situations de handicap. Alors qu’il est communément admis que le handicap psychique est une conséquence sociale d’une maladie mentale, nous montrons que des personnes sont en situation de handicap d’origine psychique (shop) alors qu’elles n’ont aucune pathologie mentale avérée et qu’elles ne suivent aucun traitement psychiatrique. Pour cela, nous nous appuyons sur l’expérience d’un dispositif appelé Médiation logement ; dans ce contexte, des psychologues cliniciens vont au-devant de personnes recluses dans leur logement, ou qui manifestent des troubles du comportement ou du voisinage, et qui n’ont aucun antécédent psychiatrique. Nous montrons qu’il s’agit bien de personnes en situation de handicap d’origine psychique (peshop). Cela nous conduit à donner une nouvelle définition du handicap psychique. Puis nous proposons une grille de lecture clinique qui permettrait qu’une équipe mobile puisse faire un diagnostic précoce d’un syndrome incapacitant discret d’origine psychique (sidop) qui se révèle chez une personne ayant une fragilité singulière au moment où elle est confrontée à un évènement traumatique personnel et/ou social. / The handicap psychique (psychological handicap) is a French expression which has imposed itself recently. It is the subject of various meanings. We place it in the very broad context of vulnerabilities and in the more restricted situations of handicap. While it is commonly accepted that psychological handicap is a social consequence of a mental disease, we show that people with handicap of psychological origin (HOPO) have no proven mental disorder and do not undergo any psychiatric treatment. We rely on the experience of a plan called Médiation logement. In this “Housing mediation” clinical psychologists meet people who are reclusive in their homes, or who exhibit behaviour or neighbourhood disturbances. Those people have no psychiatric history and we show that they share a common feature: a discrete incapacitating syndrome of psychological origin (DISOPO). This leads us to give a new definition of psychological handicap. Then we propose a clinical reading tool that would allow a team to make an early diagnosis of this DISOPO that appears in a person with a singular fragility when faced with personal and / or social traumatic of stressful event.