Biological Weapons

You are here

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Whatsapp
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • Towards an Aspirational (Ethical) Code under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Engaging the Life Science Community

    It is unclear at present how the proposal by China and Pakistan for an Aspirational (Ethical) Code under the BTWC will be taken forward through to the 9th Review Conference of the Convention in 2022. However, some difficult questions will have to be addressed for this process to be successful in producing a code that can then be implemented in more detailed codes of conduct and codes of practice in national and professional settings after the Review Conference.

    January-June 2021

    Mohammad Hussain asked: What are the key challenges related to chemical and biological disarmament?

    Ajey Lele replies: Disarmament is all about the lessening or withdrawal of weapons and military forces. It was the Geneva Convention of 1925 which spoke about limiting the spread of weapons made using biological and chemical materials. This ‘Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare’ entered into force on February 8, 1928. Almost after five decades, in March 1975, the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) entered into force.

    Virus As Bio-Weapon: Contested Origins of Novel Coronavirus

    It might be difficult to prove any weaponisation intent or man-made origins to the SARS-CoV-2. Yet, the mass deaths and disruption caused by the virus forebodes imminent exploitation of biological agents for political ends.

    May 12, 2020

    Biological Weapons: The Impact of New Technologies

    Bioweapons have often remained a less debated subject in global dialogue as compared to other weapons of mass destruction. However, the recent development in technologies have lowered the barriers of designing new bioweapons and resurrected the threat of biowarfare. This has culminated in increasing recognition of such weapons in the global intelligence community and a review of existing regulations to ensure one remains updated to tackle with the renewed biological weapons threat. India is also vulnerable to biological attacks given the poor primary healthcare network, conducive environment and conflicting relations with neighbouring countries.

    January-June 2019

    Time to Bolster Global Biological and Chemical Defense Capabilities

    Recent biological and chemical trends highlights a growing concern regarding an evident indifference with respect to the support of the long standing institution CWC and BWC. This can be attributed to three causes the lowering of thresholds for developing BW and using CW, the demonstrated international lack of will to support these key international institutions, and a questionable ability to deal with the types of mass casualty scenarios as a result of biological or chemical attack.

    January-June 2019

    The BWC Review: Issues and Challenges

    The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction usually referred to as the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) is the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of an entire category of weapons, entering into force in 1975. The Eighth BWC Review Conference was recently held at Geneva from November 7-25, 2016, Unfortunately, it appears to have flattened for the lack of consensus among the member-states until the next conference in 2021.

    July-December 2016

    Preparations for the Eighth Review Conference to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

    The States Parties to the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention are preparing for the Eighth Review Conference in November. Their focus remains on institutional capacity and exchange of views and information, rather than on possible specific compliance concerns. Consultations and proposals are reviewed. Treaty norms and appropriate capacity must be maintained.

    January - June 2016

    MERS: A New Virus Challenge

    MERS: A New Virus Challenge

    East and Southeast Asia are known to get affected by various diseases routinely. Particularly, various waterborne and other diseases likely malaria and dengue fever commonly affect the regions. There is a concern that global warming may translate into explosive growth of mosquito-borne diseases. In addition to this, growing number of natural disasters are found escalating the health related challenges. All this eventually poses a threat to health, economic and human security.

    July 01, 2015

    China’s Biological Warfare Programme: An Integrative Study with Special Reference to Biological Weapons Capabilities

    This study attempts to profile China’s biological warfare programme (BWP), with special reference to biological weapons (BW) capabilities that exist in facilities affiliated with the defence establishment and the military. For that purpose, a wide variety of facilities affiliated with the defence establishment and with the military are reviewed and profiled. The outcome of that analysis points at 12 facilities affiliated with the defence establishment, plus 30 facilities affiliated with the PLA, that are involved in research, development, production, testing or storage of BW.

    April 2015

    Pages

    Top