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Biological and Toxin Weapons Today

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ISBN 0-19-829108-6
1986
Oxford University Press

The second Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention takes place in Geneva in September 1986. Since the Convention came into force in 1975, the potential for the development and use of biological warfare and toxin warfare agents has radically changed. This is mainly a result of the introduction of genetic engineering, protein engineering, and other biotechnologies. Use of these techniques allows the development of new biological warfare and toxin warfare agents. It also permits the making of agents already under consideration for warfare purposes more effective. These methods also allow the development of vaccines to protect against these agents.

In this book, experts from different fields and from both East and West discuss these possibilities especially with respect to the provisions of the Convention. In the final chapter twenty eminent scientists from seven different countries of both East and West endorse an agreed set of conclusions and recommendations for consideration by the governments which have ratified the Convention. The recommendations are intended to strengthen the treaty regime and to ensure that progress in the fields of bioscience is not applied to the development and use of powerful agents of mass destruction.

Table of contents

1. Introduction

Erhard Geissler

2. A new generation of biological weapons

Erhard Geissler

3. The changing status of toxin weapons

Erhard Geissler and Karlheinz Lohs

4. A new generation of vaccines against biological and toxin weapons

Erhard Geissler

5. The fallacy of defensive biological weapon programmes

Harlee Strauss and Jonathan King

6. US military and chemical and biological weapons

Alfred Mechtersheimer

7. Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention

Raymond A. Zilinskas

8. Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972

Richard Falk

9. Conclusions and recommendations

E. Geissler, F. Blackaby, R. A. Falk, J. King, Kh. Lohs, A. Mechtersheimer, H. Strauss, R. A. Zilinskas and R. Trapp

 

Appendix 1. The 1925 Geneva Protocol

Appendix 2. The 1948 Genocide Convention

Appendix 3a. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention

Appendix 3b. Review of the negotiations leading to the Biological Weapons Convention

Appendix 3c. Final declaration of the (first) Review Conference of the Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention

Appendix 4. States parties to the 1925 Geneva Protocol; the 1948 Genocide Convention; and the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention

Appendix 5. Genetic engineering methods

Appendix 6. Transmission of neural information and the action of neurotoxic agents

Appendix 7. Development and production of vaccines

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