Graham S. Pearson is an Honorary Senior Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford. He was previously Director General and Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down, Salisbury. He has published several articles and papers on chemical and biological defence and arms control.
Discussion of Article XI at the Third Review Conference
1. At the Third Review Conference of the BTWC held on 9-27 September 1991, the Final Declaration of the States Parties noted the importance of Article XI which states that:
Any State Party may propose amendments to this Convention. Amendments may enter into force for each State Party accepting the amendments upon their acceptance by a majority of States Parties to the Convention and thereafter for each remaining State Party on the date of acceptance by it.
The Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference1 noted that since the entry into force of the Convention, the provisions of this article had not been invoked.
Developments since the Third Review Conference
2. Since the Third Review Conference the provisions of Article XI have not been invoked and it is therefore suggested that the Fourth Review Conference should adopt the same language as that in the Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference:
The Conference notes the importance of Article XI and that since the entry into force of the Convention the provisions of the article have not been invoked. In this context the Conference underlined that the provisions of Article XI should in principle be implemented in such a way as not to affect the universality of the Convention.
1 United Nations, The Third Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, Geneva, 9Ð27 September 1991, BWC/CONF.III/23, Geneva 1992.