Full Description
Incidents of bioterrorism and biowarfare are likely to recur, leading to increased public concern and government action. The deficiencies of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) are in urgent need of attention: the BTWC is the central international agreement to prevent the proliferation of biological warfare programmes.
Uniquely, this book is written by diplomats involved in the decade-long effort (1991-2001) in which State Parties to the BTWC tried to agree a Protocol to the Convention with legally binding measures to strengthen its effectiveness, and academics concerned with the negotiations. Just before negotiations foundered, when the Chairman's proposed text was virtually complete, the problems and proposed solutions were examined thoroughly, leading to this book.
The book is wide-ranging in its review of the history of biological warfare, the reasons why the current biological revolution is of such concern, and the main features of the BTWC itself. The core of the book examines the key elements of the proposed protocol - declarations, visits, challenge-type investigations, and enhanced international cooperation - and the implications for government, industry and biodefence, giving us all a better understanding of what still remains to be done to avert a biowarfare catastrophe.
Contents
The Implementation of Legally Binding Measures to Strengthen the BTWC.- The Implementation of Legally Binding Measures to Strengthen the BTWC.- The Requirement for Legally Binding Measures.- The Requirement to Strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.- A Short History of Biological Warfare and Weapons.- Critical Aspects of Biotechnology in Relation to Proliferation.- Implementation of Legally Binding Measures.- The Key Elements of a Legally Binding Instrument to Strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.- The Chemical Weapons Convention Regime and its Evolution.- The Experience of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.- The Experience of a CWC National Authority.- Provisions for Declarations and for Declaration Follow-up Procedures.- Implications for Government of Provisions for Declarations and for Declaration Follow-up Procedures in a Legally Binding Instrument.- Implications for Biological Defence of Legally Binding Declarations and Declaration Follow-up Procedures.- Implications for Industrial Facilities of Declarations and Declaration Follow-up Procedures.- Declaration Clarification Procedures — Randomly Selected Visits: UK Experience from Practice Visits.- Provisions for Field and Facility Investigations.- Investigation of Outbreaks of Disease.- Implications for Governments of Field and Facility Investigations.- Implications for Industry of Field and Facility Investigations.- Provisions for International Cooperation and Assistance.- Provisions for International Cooperation and Assistance.- Implications for Governments of International Cooperation and Assistance Provisions.- Implications for Research and Development of International Cooperation and Assistance Provisions.- Implications for Production Facilities ofInternational Cooperation and Assistance Provisions.- Provisions for Incentives and Safeguards.- An Industry Organization Perspective on Incentives and Safeguards.- An Industry Perspective: Issues & Concerns.- Global Outreach and Education.- The Strengthening of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
