ForumIAS LATEST
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- [Pre-order] Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: Delivery starts from 10th October onwards Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | Forum Residential Coaching (FRC) for UPSC preparation Click Here to know more →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 10th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
News: The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) has completed 50 years recently.
About Biological Weapons Convention
- It was the first multilateral treaty categorically banning a class of weapon of mass destruction (WMD).
- Aim: It effectively prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons.
- Signed: 10 April 1972
- Entered into force: 26 March 1975 (50 years completed in 2025)
- The BWC supplements the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which had prohibited only the use of biological weapons.
- It is a legally binding treaty.
- Duration to join the treaty: The BWC is a multilateral treaty of indefinite duration that is open to any country.
- Verification: The BWC does not have an inspection regime to verify compliance.
- Members: 188 countries, with Comoros the most recent to become a member.
- India is a member.
- Four states have signed but not ratified the treaty: Egypt, Haiti, Somalia and Syria.
- Five countries have neither signed nor acceded to the treaty: Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Israel and Kiribati.
