National Laws and Measures for Counter-Terrorism and Regulation of Biology
IntroductionThis volume includes summaries of 55 States' laws and measures for counter-terrorism and regulation of biology. These summaries are based on State Reports submitted to the United Nations Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1373. These summaries are supplemented by information compiled on penal and security measures relevant to biology that has been prepared for the Meeting of Experts of the Biological Weapons Convention, August, 2003. Finally, information that is publicly available on the internet or through other sources has been included as appropriate.
Readers should be aware that every effort has been made to present States' laws and measures as completely and objectively as possible. Nevertheless, some gaps are inevitable. Despite considerable efforts to achieve coverage of diverse regions and legal systems, less than 30% of the nations of the world are represented here. Even as to these nations, there is considerably more information available with regard to criminal prohibitions and counter-terrorism than there is with regard to regulation of biology.
Rather than presenting this material as the "final word" on manifold and complex subjects, this material is offered to stimulate comment and supplementation. The process of gathering and analyzing States' laws and measures is arduous and time-consuming, but it is also absolutely essential to the pursuit of international peace and security. It is hoped, therefore, that this volume initiates an ongoing process of intellectual inquiry and exchange.
