Biological Weapons Convention

03.12.2025

Biological Weapons Convention

Context

To commemorate the half-century milestone of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) coming into force, India hosted an international conference in New Delhi titled “50 Years of BWC: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South.”

About the Convention

Definition: The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) stands as the world’s first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). It comprehensively prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological and toxin weapons.

Timeline:

• Opened for Signature: April 10, 1972 (simultaneously in London, Moscow, and Washington).
• Entered into Force: March 26, 1975.
• India's Status: India is a founding State Party and remains one of the 189 signatories committed to full compliance.

Key Features

Core Mandate (Articles I–III):

• Total Ban: Parties must never develop, stockpile, or use biological agents or toxins for hostile purposes.
• Disarmament: It obligates member states to destroy or divert to peaceful purposes any existing stockpiles of such weapons.

International Cooperation (Article X):

• The convention actively promotes the peaceful use of biological science and technology, emphasizing capacity building and assistance for developing nations to prevent disease.

Governance Mechanism:

• Review Conferences: Member states meet approximately every five years to review the treaty’s operation, update norms, and address new scientific developments.
• Normative Strength: The treaty has established a strong global norm; currently, no state openly acknowledges possessing or seeking biological weapons.

Limitations

The Verification Gap:

• Unlike the Chemical Weapons Convention, the BWC lacks a formal verification regime. There is no independent body to inspect facilities or verify compliance.
• Enforcement: Enforcement relies on political will rather than legal mechanisms. While Article VI allows for complaints to the UN Security Council, this mechanism is rarely utilized.
• Historical Violations: The lack of verification allowed states like the Soviet Union and Iraq to maintain clandestine bioweapons programs in the past.

Significance and Challenges

Emerging Threats:

• Rapid advancements in technology—such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), synthetic biology, gene editing, and gain-of-function research—have lowered the barrier for creating biological threats, requiring updated oversight mechanisms.

Focus on the Global South:

• Developing nations are particularly vulnerable due to weaker public health infrastructure, higher disease burdens, and limited biosafety systems. This makes the strengthening of BWC implementation and international aid critical for these regions.

Conclusion

As the primary global bulwark against biological warfare, the BWC remains vital for international security. However, as it enters its next half-century, the treaty must evolve to address the "verification void" and the dual-use risks posed by modern biotechnology to remain effective.