The Chemical Weapons Convention was signed by 129 states in Paris, 13–15 January 1993. Its negotiation at Geneva took 21 years; it will enter into force when 65 signatories have ratified it, but not earlier than 1995. Destruction of chemical weapons will be implemented over the following ten years. This paper examines some issues prominent in the later stages of negotiation (1991–92) and considers whether the Convention as concluded reaches a threshold of acceptability and what the signatory states need to do next. Issues highlighted include verification, entry into force, the ten‐year transition period, the destruction programme, and trade and development.