CBW Magazine - MP-IDSA

The Biological Weapons Convention at Fifty: Codifying 100 years of efforts to combat biological warfare – A Timely Chronicle of a Treaty’s Enduring Relevance, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), February 2025

As the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) commemorates its 50th anniversary, the UNODA has released a landmark publication in February 2025, titled “The Biological Weapons Convention at Fifty: Codifying 100 Years of Efforts to Combat Biological Warfare.” More than a celebratory document, this expertly curated anthology offers both a retrospective on a century of efforts against biological warfare and a forward-looking reflection on emerging biosecurity threats. Spanning the evolution of international norms from the Geneva Protocol of 1925 to the adoption of the BWC in 1975, and culminating in the Ninth Review Conference (November–December 2022), the 45-page booklet captures the full scope of the global struggle to prohibit biological weapons. It features contributions from leading experts in biological disarmament, non-proliferation, and global biosecurity, providing historical context and policy insights. As Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under- Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, aptly states in her forward: “This publication aims to inspire renewed determination for a future in which the use of biological weapons is not only unthinkable but also impossible.”

Harshada Kondlekar , Animesh Roul |
January-June 2025 |
CBW Magazine

Half a Century of the Biological Weapon Convention: Progress, Pitfalls, and Prospects

As the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) marks its fiftieth anniversary since entering into force in 1975, this chapter offers a comprehensive examination of its evolution, limitations, and future trajectory. The BWC, a landmark treaty banning the development and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons, has shaped international norms against biological warfare. However, despite its symbolic and normative importance, the convention remains structurally weak, lacking verification mechanisms, robust institutional support, and clear enforcement procedures.

Manish , Vidhi Rathore |
January-June 2025 |
CBW Magazine

Is White phosphorus an inhumane weapon?

This paper explores the legal classification of White phosphorus under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques and Customary international humanitarian law. Once the scope of legality is determined, this paper argues for White phosphorus to be classified as an inhumane weapon of war due to the catastrophic, indiscriminate effects on civilians and future generations.

Olivia Ibbotson , Lijun Shang |
January-June 2025 |
CBW Magazine

CBRN Threat from Non-State Actors: A Historical Perspective

This article analyses the evolving threat of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons from non-state actors, with implications for modern military strategy. It traces the historical use of biological agents from ancient warfare to Cold War programs. It highlights how advances in biotechnology have lowered the barriers for terrorist groups to acquire and deploy such weapons. Case studies, including the Rajneeshee attack and Islamic State's chemical operations, illustrate how CBRN tools are being adapted for asymmetric warfare. The article also critiques existing international treaties, noting gaps in enforcement and verification. With a focus on India's two-and-a-halffront security challenge from China and Pakistan, the study concludes with recommendations for strengthening military readiness, enhancing inter-agency coordination, investing in early warning and detection systems, and modernising doctrinal frameworks to counter emerging CBRN threats effectively.

KTG Krishnan , Rajiv Bakshi |
January-June 2025 |
CBW Magazine

The Corona Pandemic: An Imperative Holistic Readdressing of the Genuine Roots of the Virus

In an unprecedented move, a recently revamped leading White House website item unapologetically accuses China of being the provenance of the coronavirus pandemic, due to a lab leak of a labupgraded virus. A lasting, fickle melting pot involving internal, national, axial, and international elements, factors, and complex processes preceded it, reflecting a global system that lost vital credentials, perhaps irreversibly, corollary to unforeseen, colossal pandemic impacts.