Die Covid-19-Pandemie: Schlaglicht auf das Spannungsfeld von Biowaffenkontrolle, Biosicherheit und globaler Gesundheit

The Covid19 pandemic can most likely be traced to a natural outbreak. Nevertheless, allegations that the novel corona virus was intentionally or accidentally released from a laboratory could exacerbate existing conflicts and tensions. The possession and use of biological weapons are prohibited by international law. The lack of transparency and of controls as well as legitimate biological research with high potential for misuse leave room for misinformation, misperceptions and suspicions, as has been the case with the Covid19 pandemic. Stronger mechanisms for verifying and investigating the bioweapons prohibition, stricter compliance procedures to deal with violations, and greater transparency for dual-use research of concern could help prevent biological attacks and contain negative political dynamics in case of unusual disease outbreaks. To that end, the Biological Weapons Convention would need to be strengthened, and the interplay of biological disarmament, biosecurity and global health would need to be more focussed. Having a clear division of labour and exploiting synergies, e.g. in health preparedness and in dealing with scientific and technological developments, would benefit both pandemic preparedness and biological disarmament.