The threat of biological weapons has been worrying about the armed forces, as well as political leaders for quite some time. With the global recorded deaths from COVID-19 surpassing one million, the biotechnological revolution has heightened the fear of future weaponized pathogens. The COVID-19 virus or its variant could be the most effective weapon for future biological warfare. The indiscriminate effect of such a weapon and its power to cripple economies and devastate the lives of people may make it attractive to rogue States and non-State actors. This book provides an updated analysis of biological warfare agents, including the COVID-19 virus, biotechnological developments affecting biological agents, and the legal regime responsible for preventing the use of biological weapons.
By:
Dr U C Jha,
Dr K Ratnabali
Imprint: VIJ Books (India) Pty Ltd
ISBN: 9788194697480
ISBN 10: 8194697484
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 01 January 2021
Audience:
College/higher education
,
General/trade
,
Further / Higher Education
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Chapter - I Biological Weapons: An Introduction Chapter - II History of Biological Weapons Chapter - III The Biological Weapons: Threat from Pathogens Chapter - IV The Biological Weapons: Threat from Coronavirus Chapter - V The Biological Weapons: Impact of New Technology Chapter - VI The Biological Weapons Prohibition Regime Chapter - VII The Way Ahead Appendices Appendix A Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, 17 June 1925. Appendix B Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, 10 April 1972 Appendix C The Weapons of Mass Destruction and Their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005 Appendix D Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal, 1950 Bibliography Index
Dr U C Jha, a former Wing Commander, has extensive field and academic experience in international humanitarian law, military law and human rights law. He has been teaching these subjects since last two decades. His work comprises 25 books and over 120 articles published in various journals and newspapers. His recent books include, The Evolution of Military law in India; Ethics in the Indian Military; Killer Robots: Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems: Legal, Ethical and Moral Challenges; Human Rights in the Indian Armed Forces: An Analysis of Article 33 of the Constitution; The Law of Armed Conflict; and Child Soldiers: Practice, Law and Remedies. Dr K Ratnabali is a faculty member in the Faulty of Law, University of Delhi since 2004. She has taught international humanitarian law and its correlation with Human Rights in the University for more than 15 years. She has also been teaching Ph D scholars and LL M students the Research Methodology. Her research areas also include indigenous peoples' right to land and their sacred natural spaces, rights of nature etc. Prior to joining the teaching profession in the University of Delhi, she had interned with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, New Delhi and State Human Rights Commission, Manipur.
