Publications

Books

Health Security Intelligence

Health Security Intelligence introduces readers to the world of health security, to threats like COVID-19, and to the many other incarnations of global health security threats and their implications for intelligence and national security.

Disease outbreaks like COVID-19 have not historically been considered a national security matter. While disease outbreaks among troops have always been a concern, it was the potential that arose in the first half of the twentieth century to systematically design biological weapons and to develop these at an industrial scale, that initially drew the attention of security, defence and intelligence communities to biology and medical science. This bookcharts the evolution of public health and biosecurity threats from those early days, tracing how perceptions of these threats have expanded from deliberately introduced disease outbreaks to also incorporate natural disease outbreaks, the unintended consequences of research, laboratory accidents, and the convergence of emerging technologies. This spectrum of threats has led to an expansion of the stakeholders, tools and sources involved in intelligence gathering and threat assessments.

Biological Threats in the 21st Century

Biological Threats in the 21st Century was published by Imperial College Press in July 2016. The edited volume was launched with a series of author panel discussions held in Washington DC on 14 October 2016, Geneva on 9 November 2016, and London on 17 November 2016. The series was kicked off with a keynote address by Andrew C. Weber, former Deputy Coordinator for Ebola Response at the US Department of State and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs.

Biological Threats in the 21st Century offers a fresh understanding of contemporary biological threats to national security. The edited volume features up-to-date, rigorous and accessible chapters written by leading international scholars and supplemented by expert point-of-view contributions, interviews and a witness seminar. The volume mixes the perspectives of around 40 academics, biosecurity experts, policymakers, diplomats and activist scientists, with contributions from different generations, in a creative way that leans on the past but points to the future. It is an authoritative and accessible one-stop-shop on the sociopolitics of biological weapons, telling both macro and micro scale stories of biological weapons, the politics surrounding them, the people involved, the science behind this particular form of weaponry and their historical roots.

The book is unique in the scale and constellation of prominent scholars and practitioners it brings together, and the insights and authoritative accounts these experts provide on biological threats and security. The collective contributions form a unique set of viewpoints that are essential to understanding the complexities of biological threats today.

“Formal chapters are interspersed with opinion pieces from academics and scientists, many of whom have worked on state bioweapons and biodefence programmes, and in drafting non-proliferation policy. Their thoughts provide unique personal perspectives on issues usually discussed from an academic distance…” The RUSI Journal

By critically engaging with the personal, political and historical dimensions of biological weapons, the volume highlights how these weapons are not merely the products of particular historical intersections and of technological, political and cultural conjunctures, but also of individual choices and values. The overarching message is that individuals and their moral frameworks matter, not just in the decisions to start and to develop bioweapon programs, or in decisions to use biological weapons, but also in efforts to create a lasting ban on their development and use, and to sustain the moral abhorrence against these weapons. The volume’s ultimate aim is to develop and shape a new generations’ understanding of the social contexts of biological threats and our responses to them, and, through this, to strengthen their resolve that biological weapons are never developed.

Biological Threats in the 21st Century is targeted at graduate students and researchers in security policy, politics, arms control, international relations, risk studies, science and technology studies, amongst others. The Table of ContentsPreface and Chapter 1 are all freely available.

Articles, Chapters and Commentaries

Elbahtimy, Hassan & Filippa Lentzos (2024) “Science & International Security” in Michael S Goodman, Rachel Kerr & Matthew Moran (Eds) An introduction to War Studies. Elgar.

Lentzos, Filippa and Gemma Bowsher (2023) Climate or conflict? Legionnaire’s outbreak in Poland raises questions, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 5 October.

Lentzos, Filippa (2023) Conducting public health workshops in Ukraine–under threat of missile attack, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 18 September.

Ekins, Sean, Max Brackmann, Cédric Invernizzi & Filippa Lentzos (2023) Generative AI-assisted protein design must consider repurposing potential, GEN Biotechnology Vol.2(4): 296-300.

Lentzos, Filippa (2023) Personalized war: How the genomics revolution will reshape war, espionage, and tyranny… Aporia Magazine, 26 June.

Lentzos, Filippa and Tancredi Francese (2023) Biological Weapons Convention: In the crosshairs of geopolitical tensions, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Part 1 Part 2

Ekins, Sean, Filippa Lentzos, Max Brackmann & Cédric Invernizzi (2023) There’s a ‘ChatGPT’ for biology. What could go wrong? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 24 March.

Houser, Ryan S, Koblentz Gregory D, & Filippa Lentzos (2023) Understanding biosafety and biosecurity in Ukraine, Health Security Vol.21(1).

Urbina, Fabio, Filippa Lentzos, Cédric Invernizzi & Sean Ekins (2023) Preventing AI from creating biochemical threats, Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling Vol.63(3): 691-694.

Urbina, Fabio, Filippa Lentzos, Cédric Invernizzi & Sean Ekins (2023) AI in drug discover: A wake-up call, Drug Discovery Today Vol.28(1): 103410.

Lentzos, Filippa (2022) “Intelligence and biosecurity: An emerging field of scholarship” in Rob Dover, Huw Dylan & Michael S Goodman (Eds) A Research Agenda for Intelligence Studies & Government. Elgar.

Lentzos, Filippa (2022) Biological weapons are a thing of the past…or are they? GEN Biotechnology Vol.1(4): 355-359.

Lentzos, Filippa (2022) “AI and biological weapons” in Niklas Schöring and Thomas Reinhold (Eds.) Armament, Arms Control and Artificial Intelligence: The Janus-faced nature of machine learning in the military realm. Springer.

Filippa Lentzos (2022) Der Horror aus dem Labor, Der Pragmaticus, 24 November.

Jez Littlewood & Filippa Lentzos (2022) Russia (again) peddles its debunked US-Ukrainian bioweapons claims at the United Nations, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 15 November.

Lentzos, Filippa, Gregory D. Koblentz and Joseph Rodgers (2022) The urgent need for an overhaul of global biorisk management, CTC Sentinel Vol.15(4): 23-29.

Urbina, Fabio, Filippa Lentzos, Cédric Invernizzi & Sean Ekins (2022) Dual use of artificial-intelligence-powered drug discovery, Nature Machine Intelligence Vol.4: 189-191.

Koblentz, Gregory D. & Filippa Lentzos (2022) A plan B to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity: A ‘minilateral’ approach is needed to strengthen global biorisk management, Council on Foreign Relations: Think Global Health, 15 November.

Jez Littlewood & Filippa Lentzos (2022) Russia’s alleged bioweapons claims have few supporters, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 11 October.

Urbina, Fabio, Filippa Lentzos, Cédric Invernizzi & Sean Ekins (2022) A teachable moment for dual-use, Nature Machine Intelligence Vol.4: 607.

Lentzos, Filippa & Jez Littlewood (2022) Russia finds another stage for the Ukraine biolabs disinformation show, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 8 July.

Lentzos, Filippa and Una Jakob (2022) “Chemical, biological and health security threats” in SIPRI Yearbook 2022: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford University Press. Yearbook Summary

Lentzos, Filippa, Edward Rybicki, Margret Engelhard, Pauline Paterson, Wayne Sandholtz & Guy Reeves (2022) Letter response, Science Vol.275(6587):  1363.

Lentzos, Filippa & Jez Littlewood (2022) Don’t let finger-pointing doom this key treaty against bioweapons, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 4 March.

Lentzos, Filippa, Edward P. Rybicki, Margret Engelhard, Pauline Paterson, Wayne Arthur Sandholtz & R. Guy Reeves (2022) Eroding norms over release of self-spreading viruses, Science, Vol.375(6576): 31-33. Article website.

Lentzos, Filippa & Gregory D. Koblentz (2022) Have hybrid coronaviruses already been made? We simply don’t know for sure, and that’s a problem, The Conversation, 21 Feb.

Lentzos, Filippa & Dag Hareide (2021) Stadig flere kan lage farlige virus og bakterier. Hva gjør vi med det? Kronikk i Aftenposten, 6 Nov.

Nelson, Cassidy, Ilker Adiguzel, Marie-Valentine Florin, Rickard Knutsson, Filippa Lentzos, Catherine Rhodes, Paul Rutten and Annika Vergin (2021) “Foresight in synthetic biology and biotechnology threats” in B.D. Trump et al. (Eds.) Emerging threats of synthetic biology and biotechnology. Springer. Open access

Butorac, Isobel, Filippa Lentzos & Christine Aicardi (2021) Grey Matters: Exploring technologists perceptions of dual-use potentiality in emerging neurotechnology applications, Health Security Vol.19(4): 424-430.

Lentzos, Filippa (2021) Dual-use biology: Building trust and managing perceptions of intent, The Nonproliferation Review Vol.27(1-3): 517-523.

Wilson, Henrietta & Filippa Lentzos (2021) Introduction: UNSCOM and the future of WMD verification, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Vol.77(4): 159-162.

Lentzos, Filippa & Henrietta Wilson (2021) How UNSCOM found and destroyed Iraq’s biological weapons, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 23 July.

Lentzos, Filippa (2021) Monitoring Iraq’s dual-use capabilities: An interview with Gabriele Kraatz-Wadsack, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Vol.77(4): 172-176.

Black, Stephen, Henrietta Wilson & Filippa Lentzos (2021) UNSCOM’s work to uncover Iraq’s illicit biological weapons program: A primer, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Vol.77(4): 199-202.

Nelson, Cassidy, Ilker Adiguzel, Marie-Valentine Florin, Rickard Knutsson, Filippa Lentzos, Catherine Rhodes, Paul Rutten and Annika Vergin (2021) “Foresight in synthetic biology and biotechnology threats” in B.D. Trump et al. (Eds.) Emerging threats of synthetic biology and biotechnology. Springer. Open access

Butorac, Isobel, Filippa Lentzos & Christine Aicardi (2021) Grey Matters: Exploring technologists perceptions of dual-use potentiality in emerging neurotechnology applications, Health Security Vol.19(4): 424-430.

Lentzos, Filippa (2021) Dual-use biology: Building trust and managing perceptions of intent, The Nonproliferation Review Vol.27(1-3): 517-523.

Rodgers, Joseph, Filippa Lentzos, Gregory D. Koblentz & Minh Ly (2021) How to make sure the labs researching the most dangerous pathogens are safe and secure, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 2 July.

Lentzos, Filippa and Caitríona McLeish (2021) “Chemical and biological security threats” in SIPRI Yearbook 2021: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford University Press. Yearbook Summary

Koblentz, Gregory D.  & Filippa Lentzos (2021) Whether Covid escaped from a lab or not, it’s time to talk about biosecurity, The Guardian, 15 June.

Lentzos, Filippa & Gregory D. Koblentz (2021) Fifty-nine labs around world handle the deadliest pathogens–only a quarter score high on safety, The Conversation, 14 June.

Lentzos, Filippa (2021) The role of critical researchers in the Covid origins controversy, The Somatosphere, 3 March.

Lentzos, Filippa (2021) WHO: Covid-19 didn’t leak from a lab. Also WHO: Maybe it did, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 11 February.

Connel, Nancy, Kobi Leins, Filippa Lentzos & Anja Kaspersen (2021) Driving responsible innovation of AI, life science and next generation biotech, IEEE SA Beyond Standards, 3 February.

Lentzos, Filippa & Jez Littlewood (2020) How Russia worked to undermine UN bioweapons investigations, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 11 December.

Lentzos, Filippa (2020) How to protect the world from ultra-targeted biological weapons, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Vol.76(6):302-308.

Lentzos, Filippa & Guy Reeves (2020) Scientists are working on vaccines that spread like a disease. What could possibly go wrong? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 18 September.

Lentzos, Filippa & Michael S. Goodman (2020) Battles of Influence: Deliberate Disinformation and Global Health Security Centre for International Governance Innovation essay series on Security, Intelligence and the Global Health Crisis.

Lentzos, Filippa, Michael S. Goodman & James M. Wilson (2020) Health security intelligence: Engaging across disciplines and sectors Intelligence and National Security Vol.35(4): 465-476.

Lentzos, Filippa (2020) Biopower and precision surveillance, Lockdown Texts, BioSocieties, 28 August.

Lentzos, Filippa (2020) High-stakes virus research must end The Sunday Times,  12 July.

Trump, Ben D et al (2020) Building biosecurity for synthetic biology Molecular Systems Biology, 21 July.

McLeish, Caitríona and Filippa Lentzos (2020) “Chemical and biological security threats” in SIPRI Yearbook 2020: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford University Press. Yearbook Summary

Lentzos, Filippa, Jean-Baptiste Gouyon and Brian Balmer (2020) “Imagining future biothreats: The role of popular culture” in Andreas Wenger, Ursula Jaspers and Myriam Dunn Cavelty (Eds.) The politics and science of prevision: Governing and probing the future. Routledge. Open Access

Lentzos, Filippa (2020) Und wenn das Virus doch aus einem Labor stammt? Gastkommentar in the Swiss Tages Anzeiger, 23 May.

Lentzos, Filippa (2020) Will the WHO call for an international investigation into the coronavirus’s origins? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists,  18 May.

Lentzos, Filippa (2020) Natural spillover or research lab leak? Why a credible investigation is needed to determine the origin of the coronavirus pandemic The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 1 May.

Lentzos, Filippa  & Isobel Butorac (2020) Neurotechnology overview: Why we need a treaty to regulate weapons controlled by…thinking The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists,  28 April.

Lentzos, Filippa  (2019) What happened after an explosion at a Russian disease lab called VECTOR? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists,  27 November.

Lentzos, Filippa & Cédric Invernizzi (2019) Laboratories in the cloud The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 2 July.

McLeish, Caitríona  and Filippa Lentzos (2019) “Chemical and biological security threats” in SIPRI Yearbook 2019: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford University Press. Yearbook Summary

Lentzos, Filippa (2019) Will splashy philanthropy cause the biosecurity field to focus on the wrong risks? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 25 April.

Brockman, Kolja, Sibylle Bauer, Vincent Boulanin and Filippa Lentzos (2019) “New developments in biology” in Conference Reader: Capturing Technology. Rethinking Arms Control. German Federal Foreign Office.

Lentzos, Filippa (2019) Re-thinking biological arms control for the 21st Century Fletcher Security Review Vol.6(1): 33-36.

Lentzos, Filippa and Cecilie Hellestveit (2019) “Synthetic biology and the Biological Weapons Convention” in James Gow, Ernst Dijxhoorn, Rachel Kerr and Guglielmo Verdirame (Eds) Routledge Handbook of War, Law and Technology. Routledge.

Lentzos, Filippa (2019) “Trust and transparency in biodefense” in Sunit K Singh and Jens H Kuhn (Eds.) Defense Against Biological Attack. Springer.

Lentzos, Filippa (2018) The Russian disinformation attack that poses a biological danger The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 19 November.

Lentzos, Filippa (2018) Strengthen the taboo against biological and chemical weapons The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 26 July.

Lentzos, Filippa & Jez Littlewood (2018) DARPA’s Prepare program: Preparing for what? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 26 July.

Lentzos, Filippa (2018) How do we control dangerous biological research? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 12 April.

Bruner, Robert & Filippa Lentzos (2018) Militarising the Mind: Assessing the Weapons of the Ultimate Battlefield BioSocieties Vol.14(1): 94-122.

Lentzos, Filippa & Cédric Invernizzi (2018) DNA origami: Unfolding risk? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 25 January.

Impelluso, Giulia & Filippa Lentzos (2017) The threat of synthetic smallpox: European perspectives Health Security Vol.15(6): 582-586.

Bruner, Robert & Filippa Lentzos (2017) Neuroscience–and the new weapons of the mind The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 27 October.

Rose, Nikolas and Filippa Lentzos (2017) “Making us resilient: Responsible citizens for uncertain times” in S Trnka and C Trundle (Eds.) Competing Responsibilities: The Ethics and Politics of Contemporary Life. Duke University Press.

Lentzos, Filippa (2017) Ignore Bill Gates: Where bioweapons focus really belongs The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 3 July.

Lentzos, Filippa (2017) “Genetic engineering and biological risks: Policy formation and regulatory response” in Roger Brownsword, Eloise Scotford and Karen Young (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of the Law and Regulation of Technology. Oxford University Press.

Rose, Steven and Filippa Lentzos (2016) “Interview: Unconventional weapons and activist scientists” in Filippa Lentzos (Ed.) Biological Threats in the 21st Century, Imperial College Press.

Smith, Trevor and Filippa Lentzos (2016) “Interview: International security and counter-terrorism” in Filippa Lentzos (Ed.) Biological Threats in the 21st Century, Imperial College Press.

Lentzos, Filippa (2016) “Editor’s introduction: The politics, people, science and historical roots” in Filippa Lentzos (Ed.) Biological Threats in the 21st Century, Imperial College Press.

Lentzos, Filippa & Gregory D. Koblentz (2016) It’s time to modernize the bioweapons convention The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 4 November.

Lentzos, Filippa & Nicholas Evans (2016) Four steps to rebuild trust in biology The Guardian, 23 May.

Lentzos, Filippa (2016) “Don’t single out the DIY community” part of the STAT News First Opinion feature Is do-it-yourself CRISPR as scary as it sounds?, 14 March.

Lentzos, Filippa (2016) Biology’s misuse potential Connections – The Quarterly Journal Vol.15(2): 48-64.

Lentzos, Filippa (2015) Synthetic Biology’s Defence Dollars: Signals and Perceptions PLOS Blog, 27 December.

Lentzos, Filippa (2015) Mutational technologies: Engage public in gene-editing policy Nature Vol.521(7552): 289.

Lentzos, Filippa, Koos van der Bruggen & Kathryn Nixdorff (2015) Can we trust scientists’ self-control? The Guardian, 26 April.

Lentzos, Filippa & Jacob Thorup Cohn (2014) “Biopreparedness: Developing vaccines for an eradicated disease” BioSocieties, Vol.9(4): 421-430.

Lentzos, Filippa (2014) Preventing a man-made pandemic The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 18 December.

Marris, Claire, Catherine Jefferson & Filippa Lentzos (2014) Negotiating the dynamics of uncomfortable knowledge: The case of dual use and synthetic biology BioSocieties, Vol.9(4): 393-420.

Jefferson, Catherine, Filippa Lentzos & Claire Marris (2014) Synthetic biology and biosecurity: Challenging the ‘myths’ Frontiers in Public Health, Vol.2: 115.

Lentzos, Filippa, Catherine Jefferson & Claire Marris (2014) The myths (and realities) of synthetic bioweapons The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 18 September.

Lentzos, Filippa (2014) “The BWC: Compliance, transparency & confidence” Disarmament Times Vol.37(1): 6-8.

Lentzos, Filippa (2014) “The performativity of constructed uncertainty: Military money and secrecy in biology” Science as Culture Vol.23(4).

Lentzos, Filippa (2014) “The risk of bioweapons use: Considering the evidence base” BioSocieties Vol.9(1): 84-93.

Rappert, Brian and Filippa Lentzos (2013) “Biosecurity and bio-terror: Reflections on a decade” in Andrew Dobson, Kezia Barker and Sarah Taylor (Eds.) Biosecurity: The socio-politics of invasive species and infectious diseases, Routledge.

Lentzos, Filippa (2013) Syria and bioweapons: The need for transparency The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 21 November.

Lentzos, Filippa (2012) “Synthetic biology, security and governance” BioSocieties Vol.7(4): 339-351.

Lentzos, Filippa, Caitlin Cockerton, Susanna Finlay, Alex Hamilton, Joy Zhang and Nikolas Rose (2012) “The societal impact of synthetic biology” in Paul S. Freemont and Richard I. Kitney (Eds.) Synthetic Biology: A Primer, Imperial College Press.

Lentzos, Filippa and Pamela Silver (2012) “Synthesis of viral genomes” in Jonathan Tucker (Ed.) Innovations, dual use and security: Managing the risks of emerging biological and chemical technologies, MIT Press.

Lentzos, Filippa (2011) “Hard to prove: The verification quandry of the BWC” Nonproliferation Review Vol.18(3): 571-582.

Lentzos, Filippa (2011) “Strengthening the BWC confidence-building measures: Toward a cycle of engagement” The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Vol.67(3):26-33.

Lentzos, Filippa (2009) “Synthetic biology in the social context: The UK debate to date” BioSocieties Vol.4(3-4): 303-315.

Lentzos, Filippa and Nikolas Rose (2009) “Governing insecurity: Contingency planning, protection, resilience” Economy & Society Vol.38(2): 230-254.

Lentzos, Filippa (2009) “Reaching a tipping point: Strengthening the BWC’s confidence-building measures” Disarmament Diplomacy Vol.89: 52-57.

Lentzos, Filippa (2009) “The pre-history of biosecurity: Strategies for managing risks to collective health” in Brian Rappert and Chandre Gould (Eds.) Biosecurity: Its origins, transformations and practice, Palgrave.

Lentzos, Filippa, Gaymon Bennett, Jef Boeke, Drew Endy and Paul Rabinow (2008) “Visions and challenges in redesigning life” BioSocieties Vol.3(3): 311-323.

Lentzos, Filippa (2008) “Countering misuse of life sciences through regulatory multiplicity” Science and Public Policy Vol.35(1): 55-64.

Lentzos, Filippa (2007) “The American biodefence industry: From emergency to nonemergence” Politics and the Life Sciences Vol. 26(1): 15-23.

Lentzos, Filippa (2007) “Representation from the trenches: Ongoing monitoring for implementing the BWC” Disarmament Diplomacy Vol.85(Summer): 54-59.

Lentzos, Filippa (2006 and 2007) “Regulating biorisks: Developing a coherent policy logic” Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Part I Vol. 4(2): 160-167 and Part II Vol.5(1): 55-61.

Lentzos, Filippa (2006) “Rationality, risk and response: A research agenda for biosecurity” BioSocieties Vol.1(4): 453-464.

Lentzos, Filippa (2006) “Managing biorisks: Considering codes of conduct” Nonproliferation Review Vol.13(2): 211-226.

Lentzos, Filippa (2006) “Codes of conduct: Adequate regulation, a stop-gap measure, or part of a package?” EMBO reports Vol.7: S50-54.

Lentzos, Filippa (2005) “The impact of regulations on firms: A study of the biotech industry” Law & Policy Vol.27(3): 429-449.

Lentzos, Filippa (2001) “The legal trichotomy: Biotech company perspectives on institutional elements constraining research activities” Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie Vol. 22(2): 1-18.

Special Journal Issues

Disarming Iraq: The Legacy of UNSCOM

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists July 2021 Vol.77(4)


Introduction: UNSCOM and the future of WMD verification

Henrietta Wilson & Filippa Lentzos

UNSCOM remains relevant to contemporary efforts to minimize the risks of biological weapons. It faced enormous challenges in fulfilling its mandate—in the form of an Iraq determined to obstruct the international inspections—but its efforts nevertheless showed that internationally verified elimination of weapons of mass destruction is technically possible.

Between two wars

Rolf Ekéus

In this article, Rolf Ekéus, Swedish ambassador and UNSCOM executive chair from 1991 to 1997 gives his perspective on the UNSCOM process.

Puzzling out the Iraqi biological weapons program

David R. Franz

In this article, the former biological chief inspector for the UN Special Commission on Iraq from 1993-1995 recounts his efforts during two missions to locate biological weapons and biological weapons facilities in the wake of the First Gulf War.

Monitoring Iraq’s dual-use capabilities: An interview with Gabriele Kraatz-Wadsack

Filippa Lentzos

In this interview, a former biological weapons chief inspector for UNSCOM describes the importance of biological monitoring in Iraq, its challenges and successes.

UNSCOM: A successful experiment in disarmament

Åke Sellström

In this article, a former chemical and biological chief inspector for the UN Special Commission on Iraq from 1996-1998 concludes that the UNSCOM experience was a successful full-scale experiment in disarmament that uncovered and destroyed the infrastructure of the Iraqi bioweapons program. The UNSCOM experience, however, also illustrated the limitations of inspection methods, especially when it comes to small-scale activities in a distrusted country.


The many lessons to be drawn from the search for Iraqi WMD

Terence Taylor

After the Gulf War, Terence Taylor served on the UN Special Commission investigating weapons of mass destruction programs in the country. Technical expertise in weapons inspections, an understanding of global trade, and a knack for the element of surprise helped Taylor and other weapons inspectors discover, among other things, the existence of Iraq’s biological weapons program.

Perspectives on UNSCOM and UNMOVIC: An interview with Nikita Smidovich

Henrietta Wilson

In this interview with Henrietta Wilson, a researcher at SOAS University of London, Nikita Smidovich details the lessons that the UNSCOM experience can teach those who undertake weapons of mass destruction verification efforts today.

Some long-term effects of UNSCOM: People are important, or, therein lies much of the problem

Charles A. Duelfer

In this article, Charles A. Duelfer, Deputy Executive Chair of UNSCOM, 1993-1998, and Head of the Iraq Survey Group, 2004-2005, finds that UNSCOM demonstrated the value of access to individuals in achieving monitoring goals. A vital aspect of UNSCOM’s inspection authorities (arguably the most important) was the access to interview identified individuals. “Experts talking to experts” produced data and intangible, but critical, confidence in the weapons of mass destruction declarations of Iraq.

How countries can build on UNSCOM’s legacy to solve today’s problems

Ioan Tudor

In this article, the author, who was chief of the WMD Branch at the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, explains how UNSCOM provided a foundational example of multilateral efforts to prevent the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction and why it is incumbent on all countries to work together to follow and build on that example today. 

A perspective on UNSCOM culture

Tim Trevan

In this article, the author—who served as special adviser to UNSCOM’s executive chair and spokesperson for UNSCOM for nearly four years—focuses on the way in which UNSCOM’s organization and culture evolved to adapt to its mission to destroy, remove, and render harmless Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and its long-range missiles.

UNSCOM’s work to uncover Iraq’s illicit biological weapons program: A primer

Stephen Black, Henrietta Wilson & Filippa Lentzos

In this article, the authors offer a primer of sorts that outlines UNSCOM’s historical context and the logistics of its work—central aspects contributing to Special Commission’s successes in searching for Iraq’s hidden biological weapons program.

Reports & Policy Briefs

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists A Framework for Tomorrow’s Pathogen Research: Final Report, February 2024.

Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) Evaluation of the Capstone Exercise 2020 | 2022 Executive Report, November 2023.

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences Statement of the conference on ‘Pacem in Terris: War and other obstacles to peace, 10 October 2023. Pope Francis’ statement to the conference.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Monitor No.2, No. 3, No.4 and No.5 contributions on ‘Biological Weapons’, October 2023.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Briefing Book brief on biological weapons, September 2023.

American Society for Microbiology Impact assessment of research on infectious agents, September 2023.

WHO Health-Security Interface Technical Advisory Group (HSI-TAG) Report of the annual in-person meeting, 6-7 July 2023.

King’s College London Global BioLabs Report 2023, March 2023.

UNIDIR Stakeholder Perspectives on the Biological Weapons Convention, contribution with Sean Ekins and Fabio Urbina on ‘A perspective from the pharmaceutical industry’, November 2022.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Monitor No.2, No.3No.4 and No.6 contributions on ‘Biological Weapons’, October 2022.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Briefing Book brief on biological weapons, September 2022.

WHO report Towards a global guidance framework for the responsible use of life sciences: Summary report of consultations on the principles, gaps and challenges of biorisk management, May 2022. Final guidance framework.

Written evidence submitted to the Cabinet Office call for evidence on the ‘Biological Security Strategy‘, March 2022. Summary of public response.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Monitor No.2No.3No.4 and No.5 contributions on ‘Biological Weapons’, October and November 2021.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Briefing Book brief on biological weapons, September 2021.

Open Letter to the WHO and Members of its Executive Board outlining what a credible and thorough origins investigation of Covid-19 should entail, 30 April 2021.

Open Letter (French version) calling for a full investigation into the origins of Covid-19, 7 April 2021.

Open Letter (French version) calling for a full and unrestricted international forensic investigation into the Origins of Covid-19, 4 March 2021.

Written evidence submitted to the UK Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy inquiry on ‘National security machinery‘ February 2021.

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) Occasional Paper #49 A Guide to Investigating Outbreak Origins: Nature versus the Laboratory, with Richard Pilch, Miles Pomper & Jill Luster, October 2020.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Monitor No.2, No.3  and No.4 contributions on ‘Biological Weapons’, October 2020.

Written evidence submitted to the UK Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy inquiry on ‘Biosecurity and national security‘ October 2020.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Briefing Book brief on biological weapons, September 2020.

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) report on Compliance and Enforcement in the Biological Weapons Regime, December 2019.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/MSP/2019/WP.4 submitted by Portugal to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2019.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Monitor No.2No.3No.4 and No.6 contributions on ‘Biological Weapons’, October 2019.

Written evidence submitted to the UK Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy inquiry on ‘Biosecurity and human health: preparing for emerging infectious diseases and bioweapons’ September 2019.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Briefing Book brief on biological weapons, September 2019.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/MSP/2018/WP.11 submitted by Georgia to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2018.

SIPRI Technical Report on BIO plus X, with Elizabeth Bohm, November 2018.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Reaching Critical Will’s First Committee Monitor No.2No.3No.4 and No.6 contributions on ‘Biological Weapons’, October 2018.

Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of Experts Policy Brief Series ‘Revisiting BWC Verification’: Brief 3 Information-sharing and Brief 4 Visits, August 2018.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/MSP/2017/WP.11 submitted by Portugal to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2017.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/CONF.VIII/WP.29 submitted by Germany to the Eighth Review Conference of the BWC in November 2016.

Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference Policy Brief Series: Brief 3 21st Century Biodefence: Risks, Trade-Offs & Responsible Science, November 2016.

EU Non-Proliferation Consortium Briefing Paper No.52 Increasing Transparency in Biodefence: A 2016 Visit to a German Military Medical Biodefence Facility, November 2016.

Bradford Key Points for the BWC Eighth Review Conference, chapter on Article V: Confidence-Building Measures, August 2016.

Bradford Key Points for the BWC Eighth Review Conference, chapter on Article VIII: Geneva Protocol Obligations, August 2016.

Nuffield Council on Bioethics Background Paper on Dual Use in Biology and Biomedicine , November 2015.

Bradford Briefing Paper No.11 on Reviving the Intersessional Process: Achieving Effective Action, July 2015.

EU Non-Proliferation Consortium Briefing Paper No.45 on 3D BIO: Declare, Document & Demonstrate, April 2015.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/MSP/2014/INF.3 submitted by the United Kingdom to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2014.

King’s College London Workshop Report on Confidence & Compliance with the BWC, December 2014.

King’s College London Policy Brief on Hard to Prove: Compliance with the BWC, August 2013.

Bradford Briefing paper No.9 on Moving forward with the Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), June 2013.

Bradford Briefing paper No.3 on How to enable fuller participation in the Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), July 2012.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/CONF.VII/WP.21 submitted by Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand to the Seventh Review Conference of the BWC in December 2011.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/CONF.VII/WP.9 submitted by Germany, Norway and Switzerland to the Seventh Review Conference of the BWC in December 2011.

Bradford Key Points for the Seventh Review Conference, chapter on Article V: Confidence-Building Measures, September 2011.

Bradford Review Conference Paper No.24 on Improving the BWC Confidence-Building Measures Regime, October 2010.

London School of Economics Workshop Report on BWC Confidence Building Measures: Preparing for A Comprehensive Review of the CBM mechanism at the Seventh Review Conference, August 2010.

United Nations Working Paper  BWC/MSP/2008/WP.6 submitted by Switzerland to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2008.

London School of Economics Project Report on Preparing the Ground for the CBM Content Debate, December 2008.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/MSP/2008/MX/WP.35 submitted by Switzerland to the BWC Meeting of Experts in August 2008.

United Nations Working Paper BWC/MSP/2007/MX/WP.10 submitted by Switzerland to the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2007.

London School of Economics Project Report on National Data Collection Processes for CBM Submissions, December 2007.