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Unit 3Biological WeaponsChapter 1: Introduction
All chapters
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Biological weapons basics
  3. 3. Biological Warfare and Bioterrorism
  4. 4. The Norm against Biological Weapons
  5. 5. Scientific advances and the misuse of biology
  6. 6. Summary and Further Reading
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Chapter 1

Introduction

What are Biological Weapons?

From the perspective of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, the situation in the area of biological weapons looks rather positive. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), which entered into force as early as 1975, ‘prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons’. It can be credited with being the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and there is now no legitimate military use for biological weapons whatsoever.

However, new developments in the life sciences pose significant problems and dangers due to their potential to create highly contagious and lethal pathogens without being noticed. Advances in genetic engineering make it easier to modify organisms, potentially leading to the creation of new, more dangerous biological agents.

While the development of biological weapons is prohibited, life science research can be understood to be dual use in the sense that some beneficial discoveries could be misused for harmful purposes. This dual-use character makes regulation and oversight complicated. In addition, the globalised nature of science and technology increases the risk of proliferation, provided there is malicious intent, as knowledge and materials can spread more easily across borders. To summarise: There are growing and serious problems despite the BWC’s many years of existence.

This learning unit therefore aims to introduce students to the technical, historical, political and legal dimensions of biological weapons. On completion, you will have a basic understanding of:

  • the technical foundations of biological weapons;
  • historical biological weapons programmes;
  • the nature of bioterrorism;
  • the political context;
  • the international legal framework;
  • current dangers and challenges.

The EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament eLearning Course aims to cover all aspects of the EU non-proliferation and disarmament agenda. It's produced by PRIF with financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of individual learning units are the sole responsibility of the respective authors and don't necessariy reflect the position of the European Union.