Biological Weapons Convention – non-proliferation by a paper tiger

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) remains the foundation of international commitment to the principles and norms that biological science is to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. But it faces continuing challenges as there is no mechanism and no organizational body to demonstrate and validate treaty compliance.

Attempts to strengthen the treaty with a verification protocol have been controversial since the treaty's inception. Now BWC States Parties have engaged in a new process of annual meetings to strengthen compliance, but the treaty remains more of a paper tiger, challenged by a lack of compliance effectiveness.

The next BWC Meeting of Experts will be August 18.-22., 2008 in Geneva. At the meeting, States Parties and signatories to the Convention, along with intergovernmental organisations will discuss and promote common understanding and action on:

• National, regional and international measures to improve biosafety and biosecurity, including laboratory safety and security of pathogens and toxins
• Oversight, education, awareness-raising, and adoption and/or development of codes of conduct with the aim of preventing misuse in the context of advances in bio-science and biotechnology research with the potential of use for purposes prohibited by the Convention

This brief provides a background to the historical use of biological weapons and outlines the issues challenging the current BWC process. It is written by PhD Candidate Cindy Vestergaard, who specializes in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD, nuclear, chemical and biological weapons), and the treaties that govern them.