Is the Dual Use Technology Problem Insoluble?
The Answer Is No. But – one might ask – what about the many types of machines and facilities, such as factories and hospital labs, that are “dual use”? Won’t inspections always be futile if the very site that is being used for one purpose by day might be turned into a covert chemical weapons facility by night? The answer is no. Unannounced inspections that could occur any time could address the conversion/dual use problem. And even when inspections are not occurring, it is possible – as one commentator has noted – to install certain monitoring devices or sensors on equipment, so that they record the user and the use of the device. Failure to install such devices could be deemed a violation of a specific treaty or international law. Why We Need Monitoring Under the Biological Weapons Convention, Too There is yet another reason to work on this issue, and work on it now: If we fail to develop effective monitoring standards, our failure may further weaken or destabilize already precarious
