Operationalizing Article VII of the Biological Weapons Convention

This publication has been prepared with the support of the United States and under the leadership of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). Reviewed by our GCSP expert  Mr Simon Cleobury, it examines in three chapters the operationalization of Article VII of the Biological Weapons Convention. The document first traces the origins of this provision during the Convention’s negotiations in Geneva and analyses its subsequent evolution, including understandings reached by States Parties. The second chapter focuses on efforts towards the operationalization of Article VII within the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Convention from its procedural launch in early 2023 to the negotiation of draft recommendations in 2026, including their adoption ad referendum. The third chapter presents key findings from an international workshop held in May 2026 and a Tabletop-Exercise carried out in July 2026 at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).