Fifty years ago, the international community made a significant move towards eliminating biological weapons. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) came into force on March 26, 1975. This convention prohibits the development, production, and stockpiling of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons and mandates their destruction. It reflects the determination to prevent the use of biological weapons by banning an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
The negotiation of the BWC was built on previous efforts to stop biological warfare, such as the 1925 Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and Bacteriological Methods of Warfare. These agreements underscore a global conviction that using biological agents and toxins as weapons is unacceptable.
The United States remains committed to the BWC and supports the international norm against using biological weapons. The U.S. unilaterally renounced biological weapons in 1969 before the BWC was established and has since been a leader in supporting this convention.
Currently, there is a call for all responsible nations to address the threat posed by biological weapons. The United States urges all States Parties to reaffirm their commitment to the Convention and strengthen their efforts at national, bilateral, and multilateral levels to prohibit and prevent these weapons' development, acquisition, and use.
As we mark 50 years since its inception, the United States pledges to continue leading global efforts to eliminate biological weapons worldwide.
