Oral Intervention Maat Warns of the Use of Biological Weapons in the Russia-Ukraine War

Okeil: We demand effective measures to combat the use of biological weapons

Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights has participated in the preparatory Committee meetings for the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) with an oral intervention in the plenary session. Maat indicated, in this intervention, that despite the abundant efforts made by the states parties to implement and activate the objectives of the articles of the Biological Weapons Convention, in light of modern and contemporary technology, there are many dangerous biological weapons, which can threaten international peace and security, and thus the survival of the planet.

In its intervention, Maat expressed the growing fears of the possible emergence or use of biological weapons in the current Russia-Ukraine war, which we should take into account and work together to highlight its grave dangers.

In this context, Ayman Okeil, the international human rights expert and president of Maat, stated that biological weapons are among the most dangerous weapons that threaten civilians all over the world, causing long-term effects that threaten the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and thus lead to economic deterioration, eradication of genetic diversity of farm animals and crop plant species, deterioration of the global health of humans, and thus elimination of all basic human needs.

Okeil also stressed the need to raise awareness of the danger of using biological weapons and called for strengthening the role of civil society and non-governmental organizations to empower them and work to limit the spread of weapons. The human rights expert also recommended the establishment of effective measures to combat the use of biological weapons and activate sanctions in the event of any country's violation of the articles of the Convention.

It is worth noting that Maat holds the status of an international observer participating in the series of preparatory meetings and the ninth conference. It also participates in the promotion and dissemination of international peace and security through the launch of the Global Coalition for Limitation of Armaments, in order to unify the efforts of all concerned parties such as the international and non-governmental organizations as well as civil society to limit the proliferation of all kinds of weapons, including biological weapons.

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