Joining the BWPP

Civil society organizations concerned with the threat posed by biological weapons (BW) make up the membership of the BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP). They come from the arms control and disarmament community, as well as from related fields, such as the biological sciences and biotechnology, health and safety, environment, and ethics. Individuals who wish to support the BWPP goals can become associate members.

The BWPP monitors political, societal, scientific and technological developments with possible implications for the use of disease as a weapon, and the implementation of the legal and political obligations of states under the BTWC, the final declarations of the BTWC Review Conferences, and other relevant international treaties and agreements. The BWPP will also track other efforts to strengthen the norms against the weaponization of disease.

The BWPP aims to be an important interlocutor with regard to all matters relevant to the prevention of the weaponization of disease. It will interact with the missions of States Parties to the BTWC in Geneva and with government representatives in the respective capitals, as well as with experts, international organizations, representatives of the relevant scientific communities and industry organizations, and the media. The BWPP will contribute to the formal, multilateral process of strengthening the BTWC through its own independent analysis and that by its member organizations, the setting up of events. The global network of member organizations grants the BWPP its legitimacy as an interlocutor.

Joining the BWPP

The BWPP welcomes new network members that wish to actively participate in or give their moral support to the efforts to strengthen the norms against the use of disease as a weapon. In applying for membership, the interested organization sends in

• a description of its institutional goals and setup;
• a description of any activities the organization has sponsored or taken part in that demonstrates its commitment to the BWPP’s mission;
• information on the main sources of funding;
• postal and e-mail addresses
• the name of the contact person representing the organization;
• the URL of the website, if available;
• as well as a hard copy of the BWPP mission statement signed by the authorized representative of the organization:

BWPP Mission Statement The BioWeapons Prevention Project is dedicated to reinforcing the norm against the weaponization of disease. It is a global civil society activity that tracks governmental and other behaviour under the treaties that codify the norm. It nurtures and is empowered by an international network and acts both through that network and its publications.

The BWPP Board considers all applications form civil society organizations. The BWPP understands 'civil society' to refer to the associations of citizens (outside their families, friends and businesses) entered into voluntarily to advance their interests, ideas and ideologies. The term does not include profit-making activity (the private sector) or governing (the public sector). Included are mass organizations (such as organizations of peasants, women or retired people), trade unions, professional associations, social movements, indigenous people’s organizations, religious and spiritual organizations, academe and public benefit non-governmental organizations.

The applying organization will be informed as soon as possible of the BWPP Board decision.

For further information, please contact the BWPP