Take Responsibility for Global Biosecurity: Pax Christi International
December 06, 2011: Pax Christi International calls all people of good will to contribute
to global peace and justice in general and biosecurity in particular. The lives of
substantial numbers of people may be at risk not only through the spread of diseases
but through attacks aimed at livestock and food supplies. The international community
should take all possible precautions to prevent states, terrorist groups, and individuals
from obtaining or using such weapons, said Trevor Griffiths, delegate of Pax Christi
International at the United Nations in Geneva. He was making an intervention at the
Seventh Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) on
Tuesday. The Conference takes place from the 5th to 22nd December
2011 in Geneva. Pax Christi International is a Catholic Peace Movement inspired by
Catholic Social Teaching. Pax Christi urged all States to sign and ratify the
BTWC, prohibiting the possession or development of biological and toxin weapons. Pax
Christi International pledged support to the continuation of annual meetings of experts
and of States Parties started in 2003 and continued in 2006. It also suggested greater
flexibility in putting issues on the agenda of Annual Meetings. Annual Meetings of
States Parties should be authorised to make decisions on the basis of consensus and
as appropriate. In spite of the Confidence-Building Measures (CBS) agreed by the
Second Review Conference in 1986, less than half of all 164 States Parties have submitted
annual CBMs until 2010, Pax Christi pointed out. Pax Christi also support the
moves to establish a body of scientists and policy makers entrusted with continuous
monitoring of relevant scientific and technological progress. Such body should report
its findings periodically for collective review by the Annual Meetings of States Parties
to the BTWC. The mandate of the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) installed at
the Sixth Review Conference, should be renewed and extended after evaluation at the
Seventh Review Conference in December 2011. Pax Christi International welcomes
initiatives for international cooperation and assistance that contribute to saving
lives and minimising suffering. Besides it also pleaded for more efforts by the international
community in providing clean drinking water, sanitation and food security also to
the poorest people in the least developed countries. The States Parties to this
Convention should agree on a mechanism to provide increased confidence in compliance.
During the Seventh Review Conference, a reasonable ambition is to make progress towards
an effective compliance regime. The international community will lose credibility
if it fails to do so, Pax Christi International warned.