What are biological weapons? How have they been used historically? What technological advances are concerning regarding their potential use? How is the international community coordinating to address the spectrum of biological risks?

Understanding Biological Weapons

Biological weapons are disease-causing organisms or toxins that are weaponized to harm or kill humans, animals, or plants. These weapons generally consist of two parts: a weaponized agent and a delivery mechanism. The weaponized agents can be enhanced from their natural state to make them more suitable for mass production, storage, and dissemination as weapons. Historical biological weapons programs have included efforts to produce a variety of agents, such as aflatoxin, anthrax, botulinum toxin, and smallpox.

The delivery mechanisms for biological weapons can take many forms, including missiles, bombs, hand grenades, rockets, and spray-tanks fitted to aircraft, cars, trucks, and boats. There have also been efforts to develop more targeted delivery devices for assassinations or sabotage operations, such as sprays, brushes, and injection systems.

The Spectrum of Biological Risks

The 20th century saw the use of biological weapons by individuals, groups, and states, as well as the accidental release of pathogens from laboratories. There have also been false accusations of biological weapons use, highlighting the difficulty in differentiating between naturally-occurring disease, accidents, and deliberate use.

In practice, should a suspicious disease event occur, it would be challenging to determine if it was caused by nature, an accident, sabotage, or an act of biological warfare or terrorism. Consequently, the response to a biological event, whether natural, accidental or deliberate, would require the coordination of actors from many sectors who possess the capability to determine the cause and attribute it to a specific source.

Technological Advances and Non-State Actors

In addition to concerns that biological weapons could be developed or used by states, recent technological advances could increase the likelihood of these weapons being acquired or produced by non-state actors, including individuals or terrorist organizations. This represents a growing concern for the international community.

International Coordination and the Biological Weapons Convention

Because of the wide spectrum of potential biological hazards, efforts to manage the risks should be multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, and above all, coordinated. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) relies primarily on a network approach based on coordination with international, regional, and nongovernmental organizations and initiatives to address the interconnected nature of biological threats in a holistic manner.

Strengthening Preparedness and Response

Under the framework of the BWC, improved coordination would provide positive externalities for managing disease, whatever the cause. Such an approach ensures that resources are used optimally to provide benefits for many. For example, building capacities across sectors to monitor disease not only strengthens the ability to detect and respond to a biological attack, but it also provides states with the capacity to track and mitigate naturally occurring disease, thus vastly improving public health worldwide.

Addressing the Spectrum of Biological Risks

The wide spectrum of potential biological hazards, from naturally-occurring diseases to deliberate attacks, requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach. The international community, through the Biological Weapons Convention and other initiatives, is working to strengthen preparedness, response, and attribution capabilities to address this complex and evolving threat landscape.

The Importance of International Cooperation

Effective management of biological risks requires international coordination and collaboration. By leveraging the expertise and resources of various organizations and sectors, the international community can enhance its ability to detect, prevent, and respond to biological threats, whether they are naturally-occurring, accidental, or intentional in nature.