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Annan Urges Action on Biological Weapons Convention
The rising threat of terrorism and developments in biotechnology require increased protection against biological weapons, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said today (see GSN, Nov. 15). “Advances in biological science and technology continue to accelerate, promising enormous benefits for human development, but also posing potential risks,” he said as the sixth Biological Weapons Convention review conference began in “We see today a strong focus on preventing terrorism, as well as renewed concern about naturally occurring diseases such as SARS and avian flu,” Annan said, according to Agence France-Presse. The international agreement, which prohibits the use, development and stockpiling of biological weapons, will need to be molded around evolving challenges, he said. Annan on Saturday called for a more expansive effort to reign in and harness the power of biotechnology, suggesting that the world was on the cusp of a new era similar to the dawn of nuclear power, AFP reported. While suggesting that biotechnology could hold tremendous benefits for medicine, the environment and food security, Annan also cautioned that it poses significant dangers. In the hands of terrorists, biotechnology could produce a biological weapon, he said. “We find ourselves at a point akin to the one in the 1950s when far-sighted citizens, scientists, diplomats and international civil servants recognized the enormous potential of nuclear power,” Annan said. “The challenge then was to harness the power of nuclear energy for civilian use, while preventing the spread of nuclear weapons” The review conference continues through Dec. 8 (Agence France-Presse/INQ7.net, Nov. 20).
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