Biological Weapons Convention

Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction

Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (London, 10 April 1972)

ARTICLE I

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes never in any circumstance to
develop, produce, stockpile or otherwise acquire or retain:

(1) Microbial or other biological agents, or toxins whatever their origin
or method of production, of types and in quantities that have no
justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes;

(2) Weapons, equipment or means of delivery designed to use such agents or
toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.

ARTICLE II

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes to destroy, or to divert to
peaceful purposes, as soon as possible but not later than nine months after
the entry into force of the Convention, all agents, toxins, weapons,
equipment and means of delivery specified in article I of the Convention,
which are in its possession or under its jurisdiction or control. In
implementing the provisions of this article all necessary safety
precautions shall be observed to protect populations and the environment.

ARTICLE III

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes not to transfer to any
recipient whatsoever, directly or indirectly, and not in any way to assist,
encourage, or induce any State, group of States or international
organizations to manufacture or otherwise acquire any of the agents,
toxins, weapons, equipment or means of delivery specified in article I of
the Convention.

ARTICLE IV

Each State Party to this Convention shall, in accordance with its
constitutional processes, takes any necessary measures to prohibit and
prevent the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition or retention
of the agents, toxins, weapons, equipment and means of delivery specified
in article I of the Convention, within the territory of such State, under
its jurisdiction or under its control anywhere.

ARTICLE V

The States Parties to this Convention undertake to consult one another and
to cooperate in solving any problems which may arise in relation to the
objective of, or in the application of the provisions of, the Convention.
Consultation and cooperation pursuant to this article may also be
undertaken through appropriate international procedures within the
framework of the United Nations and in accordance with its Charter.

ARTICLE VI

(1) Any State Party to this Convention which finds that any other State
Party is acting in breach of obligations deriving from the provisions of
the Convention may lodge a complaint with the Security Council of the
United Nations. Such a complaint should include all possible evidence
confirming its validity, as well as a request for its consideration by the
Security Council.

(2) Each State Party to this Convention undertakes to cooperate in carrying
out any investigation which the Security Council may initiate, in
accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations , on the
basis of the complaint received by the Council. The Security Council shall
inform the States Parties to the Convention of the results of the
investigation.

ARTICLE VII

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes to provide or support
assistance, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, to any Party to
the Convention which so requests, if the Security Council decides that such
Party has been exposed to danger as a result of violation of the
Convention.

ARTICLE VIII

Nothing in this Convention shall be interpreted as in any way limiting or
detracting from the obligations assumed by any State under the Protocol for
the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other
Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed at Geneva on June
17, 1925.

ARTICLE IX

Each State Party to this Convention affirms the recognized objective of
effective prohibition of chemical weapons and, to this end, undertakes to
continue negotiations in good faith with a view to reaching early agreement
on effective measures for the prohibition of their development, production
and stockpiling and for their destruction, and on appropriate measures
concerning equipment and means of delivery specifically designed for the
production or use of chemical agents for weapons purposes.

ARTICLE X

(1) The States Parties to this Convention undertake to facilitate, and have
the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment,
materials and scientific and technological information for the use of
bacteriological (biological) agents and toxins for peaceful purposes.
Parties to the Convention in a position to do so shall also cooperate in
contributing individually or together with other States or international
organizations to the further development and application of scientific
discoveries in the field of bacteriology (biology) for prevention of
disease, or for other peaceful purposes.

(2) This Convention shall be implemented in a manner designed to avoid
hampering the economic or technological development of States Parties to
the Convention or international cooperation in the field of peaceful
bacteriological (biological) activities, including the international
exchange of bacteriological (biological) agents and toxins and equipment
for the processing, use or production of bacteriological (biological)
agents and toxins for peaceful purposes in accordance with the provisions
of the Convention.

ARTICLE XI

Any State Party may propose amendments to this Convention. Amendments shall
enter into force for each State Party accepting the amendments upon their
acceptance by a majority of the States Parties to the Convention and
thereafter for each remaining State Party on the date of acceptance by it.

ARTICLE XII

Five years after the entry into force of this Convention, or earlier if it
is requested by a majority of the Parties to the Convention by submitting a
proposal to this effect to the Depositary Governments, a conference of
States Parties to the Convention shall be held at Geneva, Switzerland, to
review the operation of the Convention, with a view to assuring that the
purposes of the preamble and the provisions of the Convention, including
the provisions concerning negotiations on chemical weapons, are being
realized. Such review shall take into account any new scientific and
technological developments relevant to the Convention.

ARTICLE XIII

(1) This Convention shall be of unlimited duration.

(2) Each State Party to this Convention shall in exercising its natural
sovereignty have the right to withdraw from the Convention if it decides
that extraordinary events, related to the subject matter of the Convention,
have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country . It shall give notice
of such withdrawal to all other States Parties to the Convention and to the
United Nations Security Council three months in advance. Such notice shall
include a statement of the extraordinary events it regards as having
jeopardized its supreme interests.

ARTICLE XIV

(1) This Convention shall be open to all States for signature. Any State
which does not sign the Convention before its entry into force in
accordance with paragraph (3) of this Article may accede to it at any time.

(2) This Convention shall be subject to ratification by signatory States.
Instruments of ratification and instruments of accession shall be deposited
with the Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics, which are hereby designated the Depositary Governments.

(3) This Convention shall enter into force after the deposit of instruments
of ratification by twenty-two Governments, including the Governments
designated as Depositaries of the Convention.

(4) For States whose instruments of ratification or accession are deposited
subsequent to the entry into force of this Convention, it shall enter into
force on the date of the deposit of their instrument of ratification or
accession.

(5) The Depositary Governments shall promptly inform all signatory and
acceding States of the date of each signature, the date of deposit of each
instrument of ratification or of accession and the date of the entry into
force of this Convention, and of the receipt of other notices.

(6) This Convention shall be registered by the Depositary Governments
pursuant to Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations .

ARTICLE XV

This Convention, the English, Russian, French, Spanish and Chinese texts of
which are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the
Depositary Governments. Duly certified copies of the Convention shall be
transmitted by the Depositary Governments of the signatory and acceding
States.

Author: international