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Biological Weapons

GeneWatch UK believes that it is only with increased awareness of the potential abuses of genetic technologies amongst both scientists and civil society that the development of biological weapons can be avoided. As well as general awareness, institutional scrutiny to avoid possible abuses has to be cemented in international law.

14th June 2005:

The Biological Weapons Prevention Project (BWPP) has launched a new online database called ' BioWeapons Monitor'
read the BWPP press release
go directly to the BioWeapons Monitor database.

4th April 2005:

GeneWatch sends a letter to the Director General the World Health organisation to:

• Prohibit the genetic engineering of smallpox, the insertion of smallpox genes in other poxviruses, and any further distribution of smallpox genetic material for non-diagnostic purposes;
• Set a firm and irrevocable date, within two years, for the destruction of all remaining stocks of smallpox virus (including viral chimeras, or hybrids with other poxviruses);
• In the interim before destruction, ensure that the WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research and its advisors are regionally balanced and that the Committee and its subsidiary groups conduct their oversight activities in a fully transparent and accountable manner.

read the letter
find out more about the campaign to stop the genetic modification of smallpox

Resources

• Links
  • Independent Science News: The Long History of Accidental Laboratory Releases of Potential Pandemic Pathogens Is Being Ignored In the COVID-19 Media Coverage (5th May 2020)

  • Independent Science News: Did this Virus Come from a Lab? Maybe Not - But it Exposes the Threat of a Biowarfare Arms Race (24th April 2020)

  • The Guardian: Why we need worst-case thinking to prevent pandemics (6th March 2020)

  • Hindustan Times: The weaponisation of food is taking a new form. It could change warfare (19th November 2019)

  • BBC: US lifts ban on lethal virus experiments despite security risks (20th December 2017)

  • STAT: U.S. lifts moratorium on funding controversial, high-risk virus research (19th December 2017)

• Briefing Series
  • Briefing 4: What Future for Biological Weapons Control? 31st July 2002
  • Briefing 3: Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention 30th April 2001
  • Briefing 2: Biological Weapons and the New Genetics: The Need for Verification 1st January 2001
  • Briefing 1: Biological Weapons and the New Genetics 31st August 2000
• Briefings
  • Briefing 6: Genetic Engineering and Biological Weapons 31st May 1999

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Resources

• Links
• Briefing Series
• Briefings