Publication

This paper explores the strengths and weakness of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). It focuses on previous attempts to negotiate a verification protocol and establish an international organization charged with monitoring and verifying compliance with the BWC. The author examines the political context for the failure of such negotiations, particularly the lack of US support for a comprehensive BWC verification system. The paper analyzes the evolution of the US position and the key arguments it has made. The author concludes by examining progress on the minimalist work program agreed by a resumed session of the Fifth BWC Review Conference in 2002.