| Civil society preparations for the 7th BWC Review Conference 2011 | Topics |
The Seventh BWC Review Conference in 2011 has the daunting task to review a Convention that is faced by many challenges such as ongoing technological developments; globalization of bioweapons-usable technology, equipment and knowledge; political differences over the balance between security and development in the implementation of the Convention; the relationship between arms control, counter-terrorism and homeland security; and differences in the perceived need to include public health communities in security debates. In the run-up to the 2011 Review Conference it is important to collect, consider and evaluate conceptual ideas and concrete proposals for strengthening the BWC on a wide regional basis and reflecting different areas of relevant expertise. The purpose of the BWPP RevCon Project is to do exactly that. It aims to help prepare for a successful outcome of the Seventh Review Conference by initiating early thinking about, and discussion within a global expert community on, proposals for a stronger BWC; by informing governments about relevant civil society debates; and by strengthening the voice of civil society through effective networking. Between December 2010 and the opening of the Seventh BWC Review Conference, a number of topics that have been identified as being of particular importance will be discussed online by groups of three to five experts with diverse professional and geographical backgrounds. The aim of the discussion is to clarify, from a civil society point of view, how the topics under discussion should be approached at the Review Conference. The online discussion is available for everyone to see here on the BWPP website. The results of the individual discussions will be collected into a publication to be presented at the Seventh BWC Review Conference in December 2011. Contact Persons Prof. Malcolm Dando, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, United Kingdom Dr. Iris Hunger, Research Group for Biological Arms Control, Weizsäcker Centre for Science and Peace Research (ZNF), University of Hamburg, Germany |
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