Article X: Some Building Blocks

The Ad Hoc Group (AHG) of the States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) has included the consideration of measures to implement Article X of the Convention as part of its mandate, agreed by the Special Conference in September 1994. The AHG has addressed this issue at each of its substantive meetings, with a Friend of the Chair�initially Ambassador Jorge Bergu�o of Chile and subsequently Carlos Duarte of Brazil�carrying out this responsibility. As progress continues on developing the rolling text for the Protocol to strengthen the Convention, it is timely to consider how the implementation of Article X might contribute to enhancing the Convention�s overall effectiveness. This briefing paper reviews developments at national, regional and international levels concerning the use of bacteriological (biological) agents and toxins for peaceful purposes. Growing public?health and environmental concerns have increased global awareness of the need to control the handling, use, storage and transfer of such agents. The paper examines current controls and regulations governing biological agents, as well as ongoing international initiatives aimed at strengthening biosafety worldwide. These initiatives are viewed as potential building blocks for reinforcing the BTWC and contributing to the implementation of Article X, although care must be taken to avoid unnecessary duplication with other international activities in the Protocol. The central challenge is to identify how these national, regional and international activities can be utilised to strengthen the BTWC.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10454/730

Version

Published version

Citation

Pearson GS (1998) Article X: Some Building Blocks. Bradford, Bradford Disarmament Research Centre, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. BTWC Briefing Papers: 1st Series, No 6.

Link to published version

http://hdl.handle.net/10454/731

Type

Report