VERTIC and joint BASIC-HSP-VERTIC publications pre Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference

VERTIC

The Sixth Review Conference for the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention will be held 20 November-8 December 2006 in Geneva. VERTIC proposes that states parties adopt a modular approach to strengthening the convention, and in the following publication assesses the possible mandates for, and the responsibilities and requirements of, seven such mechanisms: ‘A new strategy: strengthening the biological weapons regime through modular mechanisms’, Verification Matters number 6, October 2006.

The seven mechanisms include:

  1. The establishment of a national authority and contact points in each state party for implementation of the convention;
  2. The continuation of the BWC staff arrangement under the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs (UNDDA) and a modest expansion in its functions and responsibilities;
  3. The establishment of convention implementation advisers to co-ordinate advice and assistance to states parties across all articles of the BWC;
  4. The creation of a scientific and technical advisers’ network (STAN) to consider, review and communicate to states parties practical ways of addressing any issues arising from scientific and technological developments that effect the convention and its implementation;
  5. The creation of a legal advisers’ network (LAN) to help all states parties to improve their national laws to implement the convention;
  6. The creation of a confidence-building measures (CBMs) unit to increase the number of returns from states parties and to improve the quality of the information in the CBMs; and
  7. The establishment of a group of experts to consider the issues related to investigations and inspections under the BWC.

Each of these mechanisms can stand alone and make an effective contribution to the efforts of states parties to achieve biological disarmament. Together, they offer synergistic benefits and interconnections that would be of even greater benefit. States parties are therefore encouraged to examine each modular mechanism on its own, but also to look for connections between the proposals.

VERTIC is grateful to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ploughshares Foundation for funding this report.

BASIC / Harvard-Sussex Program / VERTIC

The British American Security Information Council (BASIC), the Harvard-Sussex Program and VERTIC have prepared a ‘Briefing Book for the BWC Sixth Review Conference 2006’. It is intended to aid delegates to the Sixth Review Conference of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and thus contribute to a constructive and successful outcome. The conference will be held 20 November–8 December 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The book, which will be available to download from the three websites from Thursday, 9 November 2006, contains official documents and other texts relating to the biological weapons regime, including:

  • official BWC documents (such as the Final Documents from the previous five Review Conferences);
  • documents from the United Nations, other international organisations and regional organisations;
  • documents from informal instruments and arrangements; and
  • supporting material from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

It will also be a useful resource for researchers, non-governmental organisations, journalists and others in civil society with an interest in the biological weapons regime embodied in the BWC.

BASIC, HSP and VERTIC are grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for funding the book.

Leave a Comment