This statement, delivered at the Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention in 2011, highlights the global shortfall in medical countermeasures (MCMs) to respond to bioterrorism. While the probability of such attacks is low, the potential consequences are severe, and the development of MCMs remains expensive and slow. The paper contrasts the European Union’s limited progress with the United States’ clearer investment commitments, which provide industry with predictable markets. It argues that without open dialogue between governments and industry, most states remain unprepared for biological threats. The statement calls on States Parties to Article VII to include language in their final declaration that emphasizes industry engagement and sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure MCM availability in the face of natural, accidental, or deliberate outbreaks.
Johnson, M. L. (2011). Seventh Review Conference of the States Parties to the BWC. United Nations.
