Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)

This article was originally published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist on 5 March 2024. The author would like to thank Ching Wei Sooi and Almuntaser Albalawi for help… Continue reading How the Biological Weapons Convention could verify treaty compliance

Abstract:Today, there is an urgent need for reconciling the benefits that are likely to be accrued from the continuous advancement of the life sciences with the potential risks arising from… Continue reading Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention at the 9th Review Conference: Advancing Effective Action on Biological Security Education, Awareness, and Outreach

On 3 November I was invited to speak at an international conference in Brussels organised by the European Union (EU) Non-Proliferation Consortium.1 The session was called: The Biological and Toxin… Continue reading Progress with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Insights from four regional workshops held in 2016

The recently concluded Eighth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) held in Geneva during 7-25 November 20161 reached a disappointing outcome as the participant states failed to adopt… Continue reading The Eight Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention: A Missed Opportunity

Use of biological pathogens to attack populations continues to be one of the major threats today, whether by state actors or in the hands of non-state actors, amorphous entities or… Continue reading The BWC Review: Issues and Challenges

On April 26, 2016, the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting for the Eighth Review Conference (RevCon) of the Biological Weapons Convention (or BWC) jump-started the Convention’s quinquennial review process which is… Continue reading PrepCom: Setting the Stage for the ‘Eighth’ Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention

Numerous planning documents and policy statements are being generated in the lead-up to the Eighth Review Conference to the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) for which Ambassador György… Continue reading Preparations for the Eighth Review Conference to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

Within the intensive scientific era of the 21 century, 5 years – representing the intervals between the BWC Review Conferences – constitute a period with a vast potential, in terms… Continue reading The Eighth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention

Bio terrorism is emerging more as possibility in the 21st century not only because of the changing nature of terrorism but also because of rapid growth in life sciences. These developments have been a concern for the BWC regime. In this backdrop the paper discusses the 7th Review Conference which was concluded in December 2011.

Given its record and its efforts to promote bio-security and bio-safety, India should adopt a proactive role in strengthening the BTWC further.