Suchergebnisse

Revolutionary advances in the life sciences are poised to have a transformative global impact. However, today's cutting-edge life-sciences techniques, knowledge, materials and equipment can also be deliberately or inadvertently misapplied, with potentially catastrophic effects. Several recent experiments have sparked debate over the need for stepped-up oversight of life-sciences research. With varying degrees of success, in advance of regulatory requirements industries and professional associations have acted to address societal concerns about various products and to police the conduct of practitioners of select disciplines. Life-sciences communities are currently coming to grips with how to respond to the potential for the deliberate misuse of their know-how, technology, materials and equipment. (Survival / SWP)

Discusses difficulties involved in implementing a worldwide ban on biological weapons. Major obstacles to establishing an international norm against biological weapons include the reality that some individuals/groups will do anything to win a territorial or ideological battle; the dual-use nature of the equipment & knowledge needed to make biological weapons; & world leaders who condemn others for having biological weapons but insist on keep such weapons themselves. International attempts to develop a global norm against biological weapons are traced from the 1925 Geneva Protocol & include the 1972 Biological & Toxin Weapons Conventions (BWC) & export controls on dual-use items. Problems that have plagued the BWC since its adoption are pointed out. Talks to explore the feasibility of monitoring the treaty led to a draft protocol in 2001 that was rejected by the US on grounds that it would jeopardize trade secrets & national security. Although the US proposed initiatives to substitute for a monitoring protocol, multilateral action to enforce a norm against biological weapons is unlikely in the near future. J. Lindroth