Biochemical Security 2030 - Towards improved Science-Based Multilevel Governance

A major security concern in the area of low probability, high-impact events over coming decades will be advances in life and associated sciences and the technologies that will enable the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) to sub-state groups as well as to states. Furthermore, such weapons could be of novel types that the intended targets could not be easily defended against. In response to these challenges the UK has played a leading role in enabling states parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to have specific measures available by which the chemical and biological prohibition regimes may be strengthened in order to reduce the threats form advances in science and technology being misused for hostile purposes. Starting at the multilateral level, the key objective of this project is to help improve the operation of those aspects of the BWC and CWC by focussing on advances in synthetic biology, neuroscience, and nanotechnology, including advanced drug delivery techniques.