Learn from COVID-19: abolish biological weapons

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

Government and Parliament rightly support international cooperation over present and potential pandemics. They should now use the UK's position in the United Nations by answering the call of the Secretary-General, on 26 March 2020, to strengthen and universalise the Biological Weapons Convention.

COVID-19 warns us of the global disaster that biological warfare (using bacteria, viruses, fungi or other deadly organisms) would unleash. UN Secretary-General Guterres says: 'Scientific advances are reducing technical barriers which ... limited the potential of biological weapons.' Now more than ever, the public will welcome a bold initiative to revitalise the Biological Weapons Convention, making it – at long last – the instrument for securing permanent abolition of all biological weapons.

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.

Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.

We're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do to strengthen and universalise the treaty.

You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.

Timeline

29 Mar 2020	Petition opened for signatures
18 May 2020	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21

Status Rejected

Rejected 18 May 2020

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