ASSINGMENT 1:

Biological Weapons Convention

(BWC)
First multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of WMD

Cornerstone of multilateral disarmament regime

Non-discriminatory in nature

Unlimited duration

Open to any state

BWC Main Provision:

Completely prohibits any acquisition or retention of biological or toxin weapons ,no expectations.

Prohibits assisting or others to acquire BW

Requires national implementation measures

Peaceful uses of biological science and technology to be protected and encourage

Microbial or other biological agents, or toxins whatever their or method of production, of types and in
quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes.

Weapons, equipment designed to use such agents for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.

The main role:

Prior to ratification: Universalization efforts

After ratification: national implementation efforts

Importance:

Biological Weapons can be used not only to attack humans but also livestock and cops.

They can be deadly and highly contagious

Impact beyond security considerations

Diseases caused by such weapons would not confine themselves to national borders and could
rapidly around the world.

Eg. Ebola virus disease outbreak in west Africa.

 Threat of deadly pandemics right up three neuclear war and climate change. Getting ready for a
global pandemic is every bit as important as nuclear deterrence and avoiding a climate catastrophe.

Epidemiologist say a fast moving airborne pathogen could kill more than 30 million people in less
than a year. And they say there is a reasonable probability the world will experience such an outbreak in
the next 10-15 years.

Strength:

Clear ,comprehensive ban: no exceptions ,few loopholes

Futureproof

Weakness:

No organization

No inbuilt verification mechanism

No systematic assessment of needs

Conclusion:

Threat posed by biological weapons is real

BWC key pillar of multilateral security architecture

Threat posed by biological, weapon is real

Need to universalize the convention.

Geneva Convention
The Geneva convention was a series of international diplomatic meetings that produce a number of
agreements, in particular the humanitarian law of armed conflicts , a group of international laws for the
humane treatment of wounded military personnel, medical personnel and non military civilians during
war or armed conflicts.

GC main provision:

This convention provided for, The immunity from capture and destruction of all establishments
for the treatment of wounded and sick soldiers. The impartial reception and treatment of all
combatants. The protection of civilians providing aid to the wounded. The recognition the red cross
symbol as means of identifying person and equipment covered by the agreement.

The convention was ratified within three years by all the major European powers also by some
other states. It was amended and extended by the second Geneva convention in 1906, and its provisions
were applied to maritime warfare through the Hauge Conventions of 1899 and 1907. The third Geneva
Convention, the convention, the convention relating to the treatment of prisoners of war (1929),required
that belligerents treat prisoners of wall humanely, furnish information about them ,and permit official
visits to prison by representatives of neutral states.
The main role:

The Geneva conventions and their additional protocols is a body of public international law, also
known as humanitarian law of armed conflicts ,whose purpose is to provide minimum protection,
standards of humane treatment and fundamental guarantees of respect to individuals who become
victims of armed conflicts.

Importance:

Seventy years ago today, following the devastation of the second world war, the diplomatic
conference of the international committee of the red cross adopted the Geneva conventions, also known
as laws of war. The conventions describe how, in times of war, nations should treat the wounded and
sick, the shipwrecked, prisoners of war and civilians. They have been signed by every country in the
world.

It was a highpoint in multilateralism, a miracle of international consensus regarding the sanctity of

human life and dignity in war. Such a thing is hard to imagine today, and because it is, it bears recalling
how much we still need it.

Wars today are more numerous, complex, protracted and violent then before. They kill more
civilians, and are harder to resolve. They involve more armed groups, and loosely structured, making
them hard to deal with.

Strengths:

Easy to understand and communicate globally, of global interest, broadly applicable and easy to
implement.

Simplify the process to obtain CF of products and and help to priotiese the reduction of emission.

Multiplier effect on the value and supply chain.

Capacity for social and economic immerision.

Weakness:

Insufficient accuracy of the data and methods to permit disaggregated product CF.

Variability of the supply chains in addition to local envoirnmental uniqueness.

Different ways of dealing with CF and LCA issues increases the difference between the existing
methodologies.

Climate changes as a single impact category.

Conclusion:

A third convention, in 1929, applies to prisoners of war.

The fourth convention, in 1949, addressed the concern of protecting civilians, including in occupied
territory.
The Hague Convention
The Hague Convention protects children and their families against the risks of illegal,
irregular, premature adoption aboard. A system in place of cooperation among countries to guarantee
that these safeguards are respected and to prevent the abduction of sale of or traffic in children.

HC Main Provision:

The hague convention on the civil aspects of international agreement that covers international
agreement that covers international parental child abduction. It provides a process through which a
parent can seek to have their child returned to their home country.

The hague convention also deals with issue of international child access. When a parent or
guardian lives in a different country to the home country to the home country of their child, it may be
hard to workout access to them.

The Main Role:

The prohibition on the use of projectiles that disperse asphyxiating gas.

The pacific settlement of disputes.

The laws and and customs of war.

The opening of hostilities.

The status of merchant ships at the outbreak of hostilities.

The conversion of merchant ships into war ships.

The laying of automatic submarine contact mines.

Importance:

The purpose of convention are to protect children from the harmful effects of international
abduction by a parent by encouraging the prompt return of abducted children to their country of
habitual residence and to organize or secure the effective rights of access to a child.

Strength:

Strong science has base across sub-sectors.

Strong surrounding ICT services

Single EU market scale attractive for firms to locate.

Strong band creating value added.

Weakness:
 Weak IPR in third countries

Lack of standardization between countries

Fragmented research in national EU markets.

Barriers to EU job mobility.

Conclusion:

The hague convention was intended to facilitate and promote adoptions for parentless children in
need of families. However, “in practice, this does not always occour” The facts show that the well-
intentioned Hague Adoption Convention actually depresses intercountry adoption. That needs to be
fixed immediately.

Sources:

The Biological Weapons Convention: A Failed Revolution.

Submitted by:

Vishakha K Jadhav

MSc 1st year