Biological Weapons Convention
First opened for signature in 1972, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, more commonly referred to as the "Biological Weapons Convention" stands with other international treaties such as the NPT and the Chemical Weapons Convention as a key agreement in the fight against the proliferation of WMD. It entered into force on March 26, 1975, and has been reviewed at a conference every five years since 1986. The BWC prohibits, among other things, the development, stockpiling, or use of biological weapons. At this year's Seventh Review Conference, representatives from 165 countries will gather for three weeks to review the BWC.
Want to learn more about the BWC? Check out FAS's resources below:
FAS Projects
Biological and Chemical Weapons
Case Studies in Dual-Use Biological Research
Blog Posts
Biosecurity Blog:
Jul 29, 2011: Norway’s Anders Breivik: Biological Weapons
Sep 30, 2010: Who is in Charge of Biodefense?
Aug 11, 2010: Biosecurity Mini-history: Early Use of Bioweapons
Strategic Security Blog:
April 2, 2010: Soviet Bioweapon Researchers Discuss Past, Future
April 15, 2010: Is The US Prepared For Bioweapons Decontamination?
March 22, 2010: Capitol Briefing on Biological Weapon Threats
Mar 10, 2010: New Industry Biosecurity Conference To Host Experts from Government, Academia
Jan 13, 2010: Broad Consensus on Gene Synthesis Guidelines
Oct 30, 2009: Debating New Biosecurity Research Regulations
Jun 18, 2009: New Bioethics Council to Advise the White House
May 08, 2009: Science Magazine Biodefense News – Army Bans Pathogen Work
Secrecy News:
January 13, 2011: Various Resources
August 16, 2010: ODNI Advisors on Bio Sciences Keep Low Profile
April 13, 2010: Experts Advise IC on Classified Biosecurity Activities
June 29, 2006: How Did U.S. Assess Iraqi Bioweapon Production?
February 2, 2006: National Academy Views Biosecurity, Access to Information
Articles
Public Interest Report (PIR) Fall 2011 Volume 64 No 3: December 2011: Biological Weapons: Where have we come from over the past 100 years
Public Interest Report (PIR) Fall 2011 Volume 64 No 3: December 2011: Biological Weapons Review Conference 2011: Avoiding The Road to Nowhere
Introduction to Biological Weapons
CRS Reports
March 28, 2006: Oversight of Dual-Use Biological Research: The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity
March 28, 2003: Terrorist Motivations for Chemical and Biological Weapons Use: Placing the Threat in Context
April 10, 2002: Preventing Proliferation of Biological Weapons: U.S. Assistance to the Former Soviet States
Other Resources
November 3, 2003: The Darker Bioweapons Future
April 2002: Next Generation Bioweapons: The Technology of Genetic Engineering Applied to Biowarfare and Bioterrorism
