The Geneva Protocol of 1925 banned the use of biological weapons. In 1968 the UK proposed biological weapons be dealt with separately from chemical weapons for disarmament purposes; a draft treaty was tabled in Geneva the following year with a final text agreed in September 1971. The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) was opened for signature in 1972, and it bans the development, production, stockpiling and acquisition or retention of biological and toxin weapons. It entered into force in 1975 and as of June 2011 there are 164 states party to the Convention.
Unlike the Chemical Weapons Convention, the BTWC has no provisions (such as an inspection regime) to verify compliance. Since 2003, annual work programmes have been undertaken to enhance and strengthen the BTWC. This has involved annual meetings of technical experts and state representatives to consider specific subjects, such as national implementation, biosafety and biosecurity. The latest work programme ended in 2010 but the Seventh Review Conference in December 2011 provides an opportunity to agree a new work programme to strengthen implementation of the BTWC and facilitate the timely review of scientific and technological developments relevant to the convention, such as the growing convergence between chemistry and biology.
DECC uses its experience and knowledge of implementing the CWC in the UK to support the FCO in advancing UK objectives to strengthen the BTWC and mitigate the risks of the misuse of biology. We work to encourage an appropriate balance to meet UK non-proliferation objectives while keeping regulatory burdens to a minimum.
Confidence-Building Measures
The BTWC requires countries and states to submit to the United Nations Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) every year. These measures include providing information on vaccine producers, as well as declarations of past and present activities relevant to the Convention. CBMs help to increase transparency, and reaffirm each country’s commitment to the BTWC. The UK wants more states to submit CBM’s and make the process more transparent and relevant.
Some countries, including the UK, place their CBM returns on the ISU website.
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