Action Proposed No. 2.02.2.4

Follow-up to the 28th International Conference
of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

Declaration - Agenda for Humanitarian Action - Resolutions
	Full text
	by General Objective
Pledges
	by Participant
	by General Objective / Area
Implementation
	by Participant
	by General Objective / Area
	by Pledge
Questionnaire & contact
	Questionnaire
	Contact us

Agenda for Humanitarian Action

General Objective 02 > Final Goal 2.4

General Objective 02

Strengthen the protection of civilians in all situations from the indiscriminate use and effects of weapons and the protection of combatants from unnecessary suffering and prohibited weapons through controls on weapons development, proliferation and use

The aim is to protect human dignity in the face of continued human suffering caused by anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war, the widespread proliferation of weapons and disregard of rules concerning their use, and the development of new weapons and technologies that can be used for hostile purposes, by reaffirming, reinforcing and steadfastly respecting and implementing the protections afforded by international humanitarian law, in order to ensure that the means used to conduct military operations are consistent with international humanitarian law; that adequate measures are taken to prevent serious violations of the law; and that existing legal norms are maintained in the face of scientific developments.

Final Goal 2.4

Protect humanity from poisoning and the deliberate spread of disease

In light of recent advances in biotechnology that could be misused to create new means or methods of warfare, urgent action is taken to prevent the misuse of biotechnology for hostile purposes and the erosion of the prohibitions of poisoning and the deliberate spread of disease contained in international humanitarian law.

Actions proposed

2.4.1 States party to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention are encouraged to continue their efforts under the Biological Weapons Convention Programme of Work to reduce the threat posed by biological weapons.

2.4.2 Recognizing the primary importance of the Biological Weapons Convention Programme of Work, States are invited to work with the ICRC to develop a ministerial-level declaration that would support efforts in the framework of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, on preventing the hostile use of biological agents as called for in the ICRC Appeal on Biotechnology, Weapons and Humanity. The components of the Movement will promote the concerns expressed in the ICRC Appeal.

2.4.3 States that have not yet done so are encouraged to: - consider becoming party to the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention before the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Conference in 2007; - adopt appropriate national legislation to investigate and prosecute acts prohibited by the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention; - integrate relevant ethical and legal norms into medical and scientific education, as well as professional and industrial codes of conduct at national and international levels with a view to minimizing the risk of use of biological agents for hostile purposes; and - continue efforts to establish comprehensive surveillance and assistance mechanisms at the national and international levels to detect, analyse and respond to unusual outbreaks of disease.

2.4.4 States are called upon to uphold the object and purpose of the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and other relevant norms of international law, including by monitoring closely advances in the field of the life sciences, taking practical action to effectively control biological agents that could be put to hostile use, and by improving international cooperation.

back