Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

BWC Review Conference: Latest News, Friday December 7, 2001

US forces BWC Conference to be Suspended without Agreement

The United States is being held responsible for the failure of the Conference of 144 state parties to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) which closed in disarray on Friday December 7, in Geneva. On the last day the United States announced its opposition to the continuation of work by the Ad Hoc Group of States Parties, which has been negotiating on measures to strengthen and verify the Treaty for the past six years. As a consequence, it was impossible to get any agreement to adopt a final declaration or document containing measures to strengthen the BWC, as had previously been hoped. In an attempt to prevent the Treaty being completely undermined by this set-back, the States Parties have agreed to adjourn and meet again next year, on November 11 - 22, 2002.

In belatedly proposing the termination of the Ad Hoc Group's mandate, the United States instead proposed annual meetings of state parties and expert groups. Though a number of States Parties supported the concept of annual meetings, these had been regarded as complementary to the ongoing verification work of the Ad Hoc Group and not as a substitute. A senior diplomat from the European Union said the the United States' European allies had had no idea that Washington was going to categorically oppose the continuation of a mandate for the Ad Hoc Group and were "very annoyed". The employment of such high handed tactics, indicating yet again the United States' lack of interest in the multilateral non-proliferation and arms control regimes developed over the past four decades, is viewed as the latest example of the Bush Administration's lack of understanding of the role played by treaties in international security and arms control.

A more detailed report from Jenni Rissanen in Geneva will be posted as soon as possible.