South Africa signs a multilateral treaty prohibiting the development of biological weapons

On 10 April 1972, The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxic Weapons and their Destruction was signed in Moscow, London and Washington. South Africa formed part of this convention, and signed this multilateral treaty, which prohibited the development and stockpiling of any weapons which would enable a country to embark on biological warfare. This prohibition was a supplement to the 1925 Geneva Protocol. This treaty was opened for signature on 10 April 1972 and put into effect on 26 March 1975. This treaty is regarded as the first international treaty to ban an entire class of weapons, and by June 2000, the treaty had been signed by 144 states parties, which includes the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.