New civil society watchdog monitors biological weapons

On 11 November, the BioWeapons Prevention Project, a new civil society initiative to monitor the ban on biological weapons, will be launched in Geneva. BWPP is a joint project of eight founding non-governmental organisations. The initiative aims to establish a global monitoring network to increase openness in biological weapons matters.

BWPP will strengthen the ban on biological weapons by monitoring governments, industry and others. The Geneva-based watchdog will be assisted by partner organisations around the world. The project follows in the footsteps of successful non-governmental efforts to monitor the ban on landmines and the spread of small arms.

The project helps to fill the gap left by the collapse of governmental efforts to establish a monitoring mechanism for the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) in August 2001. The launch coincides with the resumption of the Fifth BWC Review Conference, after a 12-month suspension over disagreements about how to move forward with negotiations on a BWC verification mechanism. A press briefing on the BioWeapons Prevention Project will be held on Monday, 11 November at 9.00 a.m. at the UN Cafeteria in the basement of the Palais des Nations. Representatives of BWPP member organisations will be available for questions during and after the briefing.

The project will be formally launched at a public event on 11 November in the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Room 25, 1.00-3.00 p.m. United Nations Under-Secretary- General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, will give the opening address. Also speaking will be Judge Dumisa Ntsebeza, who was Investigative Head of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and chaired hearings on South Africa's biological weapons programme, Marie Chevrier, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas and Angela Woodward of the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre in London.

For further information please see the attached background information, contact Ditta Ciganikova, BWPP Project Coordinator at Tel. +41 22 917 2699, email bwcmonitor@hotmail.com. The project's website, www.bwpp.org., will be launched on 11 November.

Background on the BioWeapons Prevention Project

Project goals & methods

The BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP) aims to strengthen the norm against using disease as a weapon by monitoring relevant developments. The project will gather information on political, security, scientific, technical and legal developments at the national, regional and international levels from a wide range of sources. BWPP will increase openness and transparency by publishing its findings widely. The project's central publication, the BioWeapons Monitor will regularly and comprehensively report on developments related to compliance of governments and other entities with the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) and other international treaties that codify the norm against biological weapons. The project will also use its website (www.bwpp.org) and occasional publications to inform decision-makers, the media and the public about bioweapons compliance issues.

BWPP will build a global network of civil society organizations concerned with the threat of biological weapons. Network partners will come from the arms control and disarmament community, as well as from organizations working in related fields, such as biosciences and technology, health and the environment.

Project structure

The project will be managed by staff at the BWPP office in Geneva. BWPP is governed by a Board of Directors, which currently consists of representatives of BWPP founding organizations. BWPP aims to work closely with governments, industry, academia and international organizations. The project encourages government and philanthropic support for its activities and solicits financial and other contributions.

BWPP member organisations

Current project members are:

• British American Security Information Council (BASIC), United Kingdom/ United States
• Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), South Africa
• Department of Peace Studies , University of Bradford, United Kingdom
• Federation of American Scientists (FAS), United States
• Programme for Strategic and International Security Studies, Graduate Institute of International Studies (PSIS), Switzerland
• Harvard Sussex Program (HSP), University of Sussex, United Kingdom
• International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES), Germany
• Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC), United Kingdom.