INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ACTS FIXING BASIS OF ACTIVITY IN FIGHT WITH BIOTERRORISM

Aim. To develop the proposals for elevation of the efficiency of international-legal mechanisms in fight with bioterrorism. Materials and methods. International-legal acts regulating the basic aspects of fight with bioterrorism were analyzed. Results. The Protocol for Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed in Geneva on July 17, 1925, does not enclose control standards, responsibility measures of states and procedures in case of violation. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxic Weapon and on their Destruction (April 10, 1972) has some essential disadvantages: the types and volume-quantitative parameters of biological agents and toxins to be used in peaceful purposes are not determined; no control mechanism; appeals to U.N. Security Council regarding the fact of violating the Convention positions does not guarantee the triumph of truth; unrecognized states can’t be participants of the Convention; responsibility of states, not participants of the Convention, is excluded. The Resolution 1540 (2004) adopted by the United Nations Security Council also has some drawbacks: lack of control for non-proliferation of biological weapons from specialized international organization having official status. Fulfillment of the Resolution is complicated by absence of well-defined uniform standards of international security effective for most states and absence of obligation to adopt the laws fixing the responsibility of non-official subjects for activity using mass destruction weapons. Conclusions. It is proposed to create a specialized international organization dealing with the problems of non-proliferation of biological weapons and control of international documents regarding the latter. It is necessary to develop and to adopt an international convention on fight with biological terrorism.

International-legal acts, bioterrorism, international crime