ANZSIL Zoom Lecture: Treasa Dunworth, University of Auckland:International Law on Biological Weapons: Fit for Purpose?

International Law on Biological Weapons: Fit for Purpose?

Associate Professor Treasa Dunworth, University of Auckland

Abstract

The scale and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is demonstrating how vulnerable our communities are to outbreaks of contagious disease and we are seeing first-hand the way in which disease can wreak social and economic havoc. It is for these reasons that, for at least a century, international law has prohibited the use of disease as a weapon of war. In my presentation I explore whether existing international law for dealing with hostile uses of biological agents (that is, biological weapons) is fit for purpose and in particular I consider the implications of the way in which such hostile use has been traditionally framed as a security, rather than a public health, issue. 

Bio

Dr Treasa Dunworth is an Associate Professor in Law with the University of Auckland, where she teaches a range of public international law related courses, including a course devoted exclusively to disarmament law. In 2017, Treasa joined the delegation of United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) at the negotiations for a Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty. She has recently published Humanitarian Disarmament: An Historical Enquiry with Cambridge University Press.