Biological Weapons and Toxins Convention

Created in 1972, and entering into force in 1975, is The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, commonly known as the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). It is the first international agreement to ban all production and use of a class of weapons.

The convention does recognize the problem of dual-use of organisms that could be used as biological weapons. For diseases that occur in nature, such as anthrax or plague, there are legitimate reasons to have reasonable quantities of such disease-producing organisms, such as the preparation of vaccines, identification by reference laboratories, development of detection and decontamination techniques, investigation into treatments, and basic research involving the organization. Individual nations have created regulatory and inspection regimes to monitor the legitimate uses, such as the U.S. Select Agent Program.

Review Conferences have further clarified the legitimate uses of potential biological weapons, as well as agreements to destroy stockpiles of actual weapons, or divert them to peaceful purposes. The conferences recognized that legitimate research and health promotion activities were not to be hindered by counter-proliferation activity.