FAQ: Must I license companies, institutions and individuals?
The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) does not explicitly request the licensing of companies, institutions or individuals.
However, States usually control biological agents and toxins that pose a risk to public health, animal health, and plant health or to the environment by licensing the possession, handling, use, and transfer of such agents and toxins. Licenses may be granted to companies, institutions and/or individuals. Regulatory measures for licensing are usually a part of legislation dealing, inter alia, with infectious diseases, public health, animal health, plant protection, and genetic engineering as well as transport of dangerous materials.
Given the dual-use nature of many biological agents and toxins, the licensing of possession, handling, use and transfer under the aforementioned national legislation enables States party to the BTWC to control such activities so that they are conducted only for peaceful purposes. In this way, they can prevent illicit BW proliferation as required under Articles III and IV of the BTWC.
Licensing may also have an advantage with regard to the fulfillment of the obligations relating to Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), because it allows a government to know and track what types of biological and biotechnological activities take place within the borders of the country.
However, States usually control biological agents and toxins that pose a risk to public health, animal health, and plant health or to the environment by licensing the possession, handling, use, and transfer of such agents and toxins. Licenses may be granted to companies, institutions and/or individuals. Regulatory measures for licensing are usually a part of legislation dealing, inter alia, with infectious diseases, public health, animal health, plant protection, and genetic engineering as well as transport of dangerous materials.
Given the dual-use nature of many biological agents and toxins, the licensing of possession, handling, use and transfer under the aforementioned national legislation enables States party to the BTWC to control such activities so that they are conducted only for peaceful purposes. In this way, they can prevent illicit BW proliferation as required under Articles III and IV of the BTWC.
Licensing may also have an advantage with regard to the fulfillment of the obligations relating to Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), because it allows a government to know and track what types of biological and biotechnological activities take place within the borders of the country.