Biological and Chemical weapon

Subject: IR

Section: International Agreement

Context- Russia claimed that U.S. had Chemicals and bio-weapons labs in Ukraine.

Concept-

About Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention 1972:

The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), or Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), is a disarmament treaty that effectively bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use.
The treaty’s full name is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction.
This agreement was signed in 1972. It came into force in 1975.
As of 2019, 109 countries have signed the treaty and 183 nations are party to this treaty. Tanzania was the most recent country to become a party to the treaty.
It was the 1st multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of Biological Weapons.
India ratified this treaty in 2015.

Bio Weapons:

There are 3 types of agents used based on the ability and extent of damage that can be caused. They are:
- Category A: High-priority agents. Example: Anthrax, Ebola virus.
- Category B: Moderate-priority agents. Example: Brucellosis, Q fever
- Category C: Low-priority agents. Example: Yellow fever virus, Hantavirus.
Some of the deadliest biological weapons that have been used are:
- Anthrax: Caused by bacteria named Bacillus Anthracis. It is one of the deadliest agents to be used as a biological weapon. It has been used with food, water, spray, powders. It is completely tasteless and odourless.
- Botulinum Toxin: It is caused by naturally found bacteria named Clostridium Botulinum. It can be used by contaminating food and water. It was known to be used by Japan on Prisoners of War (POW) during the occupation of Manchuria.
- Francisella Tularensis: As per a former Soviet Union scientist, this was used as a biological weapon against the Nazi Army of Germany by the Soviet Union Army in the Battle of Stalingrad of World War II.
- Aflatoxin: Iraq had produced and deployed different weapons armed with Aflatoxin. It was noted by the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) in 1995. However, it was destroyed during the Gulf War.

Chemical Weapons Convention:

A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties.
CWC is a multilateral treaty banning chemical weapons and requiring their destruction within the stipulated time.
Negotiations for the CWC began in 1980 at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
The convention was drafted in September 1992 and opened for signature in January 1993. It became effective from April 1997.
It makes it mandatory to destroy old and abandoned chemical weapons.
Members should also declare the riot-control agents (sometimes referred to as ‘tear gas’) in possession of them.
It has 192 state parties and 165 signatories.
India signed the treaty in January 1993.
Convention Prohibits:
- The development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or retention of chemical weapons.
- Transferring of chemical weapons.
- Using chemical weapons.
- Assisting other States to indulge in activities that are prohibited by the CWC.
- Using riot-control devices as ‘warfare methods’.