Preventing deliberate disease

The danger from deliberate disease as a weapon of war--biological weapons--is examined and it is concluded that biological weapons currently pose the greatest danger of all weapons of mass destruction. The ongoing work of the Ad Hoc Group negotiating a Protocol to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the implementation of the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention is analysed. The Protocol is nearing completion and contains provisions for declarations of the most relevant facilities, for declaration follow up procedures including infrequent randomly-selected visits to declared sites, for investigations of non-compliance concerns as well as measures to promote international co-operation for peaceful purposes in microbiology and biotechnology. It is concluded that an efficient and effective Protocol is achievable within the coming year.