This introduction to the DISARM resolution on Bio-weapons was submitted separately to the IEC to provide background and WILPF historic context for the resolution. It does not appear, however, in the final resolution.

Whereas: WILPF was founded to put an end to war and to secure peace and freedom for all humankind, and has from its inception called for general and complete disarmament under international law.

Whereas: Through the years WILPF has repeatedly called for prohibition of all means of mass destruction, including biological weapons, and WILPF Congresses have made repeated urgent calls for prohibition of such weapons to the UN and all member nations including:

• In 1949 a call for prohibition of production of biological weapons, and destruction of all existing stocks.
• In 1953 a declaration that the use, and even the preparation of biological weapons is a crime against humanity and a call for compliance with the Geneva Protocol of June 17th 1925.
• In 1965 a call for an actual Convention banning biological weapons.
• In 1968 a further call to governments of the world to cease the research in and the manufacture of chemical and biological weaponry. WILPF was deeply concerned and appalled by the immorality, inhumanity and diversion of the nations’ resources into the research, production and use of chemical and biological weapons resulting in incalculable destruction. Realizing that these weapons could be produced, transported and used cheaply and secretly they urged all Sections to inform and arouse public opinion to press for immediate cessation of all forms of biological warfare, cessation of research in and production of all forms of biological weaponry, and destruction of all existing stockpiles of these weapons.
• In 1972 when the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological Weapons and Toxins was successfully negotiated at last and opened for signature, WILPF noted that the convention banned only research on offensive weapons. It permitted research on biological war means for defensive use. WILPF pointed out that in reality, however, there is no clear boundary between defensive and offensive research. WILPF feared a military build-up of genetic capacity and demanded that the UN expand the Convention of 1972 to include biological weapons of all types.

Whereas: Since 1972 some parties to the treaty, under the guise of defensive research, have secretly conducted programs in violation of the treaty. In 1992 the Soviet Union revealed its extensive bio-weapons program continued since 1972 despite ratification of the treaty, and agreed with other nations on the need for an inspection and monitoring protocol to enforce said treaty. In September 2001 the New York Times revealed three secret U.S. bio-defense projects that appeared to violate the Biological Weapons Convention, again revealing the need for inspection and enforcement. It was later discovered that the anthrax letters sent in September 2001 contained a weaponized form of the Ames strain that could only have been produced in a U.S. military laboratory, also in clear violation of the Convention.

Whereas: When, after eight years of negotiation, the Biological Weapons Review Conference presented the additional Protocol for inspection and monitoring of the Convention (November, 2001), a new United States Administration announced that it would not sign the Protocol, thus rendering said Protocol invalid.

Whereas: Shortly afterward the United States Congress approved 6 billion dollars to be spent on Bio-defense by Homeland Security. This included 2.4 billion to bring high security bio-labs into dozens of University communities for bio-genetic research on virulent and deadly pathogens, including the creation of new strains not present in nature – a type of research generally associated with bio-offense programs. Additional appropriations were made for secret Bio-Defense research by the Pentagon and other agencies, estimated by the Associated Press also to be near 6 billion dollars. In 2003 the U.S. army, in clear violation of the Convention, actually patented a grenade designed to deliver aerosols including biological agents.

Whereas: in 2005 both Russia and the United States requested WHO to allow experimentation with the small pox virus -- a pathogen which was eradicated in the 1970s, against which people are no longer vaccinated, and for which Russia and the US now hold the only remaining viruses which they have been expected to destroy.