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The General Purpose Criterion Is an important concept in International law

International law

Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...

 which broadly governs international agreements

Treaty

A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...

 with respect to chemical weapons (CW). Although the term is not found within such agreements, it is "regularly used" to describe the comprehensive nature of prohibitions regarding all CW.

Scope

The scope of this criterion broadly governs the purpose of chemical agents opposed to specific objects. Therefor the prohibitions are not limited to a specific list, but encompass all CW to include future incarnations.