Biological Weapons Convention


Biological Weapons Convention

An international treaty forbidding signatories from developing or possessing weapons that may be used in biowarfare. It requires signatories to dispose of or change the use of the biological weapons they possess at the time of signature and mandates assistance to countries suffering from violations of the treaty. Most of the world's countries are signatories to the Biological Weapons Convention. Twenty-two original nations signed the Convention in 1972, and it became effective in 1975.