Interpol proposes model anti-bioterror law
Agency hopes to encourage states to criminalize the development and transfer of deadly pathogens; many countries limit prosecution to actual use; investigatory restrictions a major problem for some
The international gumshoes at Interpol had drafted a model anti-bioterrorism law, one that they hope countries will either adopt or modify. The key, one Interpol official explained, is “to prohibit… everything up to use.” Many countries’ law are inadequate for detecting and preventing the development of biological weapons, partly because of tight restrictions on investigative techniques and partly due to loose restrictions on the transfer and handling of pathogens. In many countries, Interpol said, no law would be violated until a biological agent is actually deployed. “It’s just simply difficult to prosecute, not to mention investigate and convict,” said Scott Spence, manager of Interpol’s biocriminalization project.
Created with the assistance of the Verification Research Training and Information Center (VERTIC) in London, the Interpol law would criminalize almost every step in the development of biological weapons, including their production, stockpiling, transfer, and financing. (Countries would create their own lists of controlled pathogens.) The model law also establishes a biological emergency response and investigation support system. “It’s intended to be like a tool kit from which certain provisions may be picked,” Spence said. “There has to be a certain measure of flexibility when it comes to using this as a model, and we are aware of that.”
-read more in this Nuclear Threat Initiative report
