Alix Renaudin

Two side events at the BWC Working Group - VERTIC This week, VERTIC's National Implementation Measures and Verification & Monitoring Programmes hosted simultaneous side events on August 20th at the sixth session of the BWC Working Group.

www.vertic.org/2025/08/two-...

Insightful days at @ungeneva.bsky.social 🇺🇳 with the
@vertic.bsky.social delegation for the 6th session of the #1972BWC Working Group with two successful side events!

Many thanks to all speakers and attendees!

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) mtg this week:

🔸Norms against biological weapons must be upheld
🔸Strong & effective national implementation of BWC is vital in light of today’s rapid development in Life Sciences and Biotech.

Norway proud supporter of @vertic_org #1972BWC

📣 Join us Today in Geneva for a side event on the margins of the #1972BWC WG on Enhancing National Implementation of the BWC
Explore @vertic.bsky.social projects, assistance activities and featuring the launch of the CBRN Cases Tracker database

📆 20 August 2025 - 13:15 CET - Room XXII

📣 Join us this Wednesday in Geneva for a side event on the margins of the #1972BWC Working Group on Enhancing National Implementation of the BWC

Explore VERTIC projects, assistance activities and featuring the launch of the CBRN Cases Tracker database

📆 20 August 2025 - 13:15 CET - Room XXII 🇺🇳

🔔 Upcoming Events!
Join us next week at VERTIC's two side events on the margins of the 6th meeting of the BWC WG.
The events will focus on enhancing national implementation of the BWC and assessing BWC compliance and monitoring, respectively.
The side-events will take place on 20 August at 13:15.

Links to the 2 decisions:
- www.courdecassation.fr/decision/688...

- www.courdecassation.fr/decision/688...

The Court justifies its u-turn on the matter by an "evolution" of customary international law encouraged by states' practice.

This decision is also a good signal for the enforcement of the prohibitions related to the development, production, possession and use of #ChemicalWeapons, when those activities are carried out by a State

The Court based its decision on ICTY decision and foreign practices, referring to Germany, Switzerland judicial decisions, as well as
@UN
International Law Commission's report on immunities

docs.un.org/A/CN.4/701

⚖️ Important recent decisions from the 🇫🇷 @courdecassation.fr
on functional immunities of State officials. The Court ruled that it exists exceptions to functional immunities for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in cases against former Syrian officials.

www.sgdsn.gouv.fr/files/files/...

The NSR highlights the importance of monitoring the developments of biotechnologies and the risks of proliferation of new biological & chemical threats posed by the uses of AI.
Unlike the precedent NSR issued in 2022, no example of chemical weapons proliferation is mentioned.

☣️🧪 Regarding the biological & chemical weapons proliferation, the NSR mentions the pursuit of BW & CW proliferation, while insisting on the necessity to safeguard research, intelligence, expertise and response on/to CBRN issues.

Finally, the National Strategic Review assesses the weakening of the arms control regimes form the Cold War era (NEW START, INF, etc.) while criticising the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as being detrimental to the strategic stability.

The NSR also addresses the threat of use of nuclear weapons by Russia 🇷🇺 in the context of the conflict against Ukraine 🇺🇦. According to the document, this threat increases the risks of proliferation.

The document also refers to the "unprecedented levels" attained by Iran 🇮🇷, despite the 🇮🇱🇺🇸 use of force against nuclear facilities. The NSR refrains from giving a prediction on the future/non-future of the Iranian nuclear programme.

☢️ On nuclear proliferation, the NSR mentions the recent developments in DPRK 🇰🇵, with the evolution of its nuclear doctrine towards preemptive strikes and underlines the "probable" technological support from Russia 🇷🇺.

The French 🇫🇷 National Strategic Review 2025 was published a few days ago and includes some references to WMD proliferation (Chemical, Biological, Nuclear).

Short thread 🧶

www.defense.gouv.fr/sites/defaul...

La RNS précise l'importance de suivre les évolutions des biotechnologies et de la prolifération de nouvelles menaces biologiques et chimiques liées à l'IA. Contrairement à la RNS2022, aucun exemple de prolifération d'armes chimiques n'est mentioné.

☣️🧪 Sur la prolifération d'armes biologiques et chimiques, la RNS évoque la "poursuite" de la prolifération tout en insistant sur la nécessité de préserver les capacités de recherche, renseignement, expertise et réponse sur les sujets NRBC (CBRN).

Enfin, la RNS constate l'affaiblissement des régimes de maîtrise des armements issues de la guerre froide (NEW START, Traité FNI, etc.), tout en dénonçant le Traité d'Interdiction des Armes Nucléaires (TIAN) comme "nui[sant] à la stabilité stratégique"

La menace d'utilisation de l'arme nucléaire par la Russie 🇷🇺 dans le conflit en Ukraine 🇺🇦 est évoqué, qui accroît selon la RNS les risques de prolifération.

Est également évoqué les "niveaux inédits" atteints par l'Iran 🇮🇷 malgré les interventions 🇮🇱🇺🇸. La RNS2025 se garde de tout pronostic sur la suite du programme nucléaire Iranien.

☢️ Sur la prolifération nucléaire, la RNS2025 mentione principalement les récents dévelopments en Corée du Nord 🇰🇵 avec un changement de doctrine vers une frappe en premier et souligne le "probable" soutien technologique Russe 🇷🇺.

La Revue Nationale Stratégique 2025 est sortie il y a quelques jours.
Quelques références à la prolifération d'armes de destruction massive (Chimique, Biologique & Nucléaire).

Petit thread 🧶

🗞️ The latest edition of Trust&Verify is out!

🩺 It features my article on synergies of the recently adopted WHO #PandemicAgreement, the #1972BWC and the #InternationalHealthRegulations

Check it out along other pieces on BW control milestones, institutionalisation, nuclear irreversibility, etc.

⤵️

The #1925GenevaProtocol gradually became part of "Customary International Law" and is now seen as legally-binding upon all States Parties and to any type of conflict.

It's text was incorporated in the 1998 Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Illustrating today's relevance of the #1925GenevaProtocol, the treaty forms the legal basis for the UN Secretary-General's Mechanism (UNSGM) to investigate alleged use of chemicals and biological weapons, mechanism still active today.