BWC 71-75
Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction was the first arm Control Treaty that banned an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. The BWC supplemented the 1925 Geneva Convention as it did not only prohibit the use of Biological Weapons but it also outlawed the production, development and stockpiling of Biological and Toxin Weapons. The Convention was opened for signature on 10 April 1972 and entered into force on 26 March 1975 when twenty-two States had deposited the instruments of ratification. The Convention also binds the State Parties to destroy or divert to peaceful purposes biological weapons and associated resources before joining the BWC and to request the UN Security Council to instigated alleged breaches of the BWC and to comply with its subsequent decisions. The Biological Weapons Convention lacks a formal verification regime as, so far, no body has been set to verify to effective implementation of the Treaty. The only verification mechanism is formed by voluntary annual reports on Confidence Building Measures that State Parties send to the United Nations, but currently only about half of the treaty signatories submit these reports. After the entry into force of the Convention States Parties agreed to call for quinquennial Review Conferences in order to formally review the operation of the BWC. 1980, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 Review Conferences have reaffirmed that the scope of the Convention extends to new scientific and technological developments and that under all circumstance the use of Biological Weapons is prohibited by the Convention.