2007年VOA标准英语-UN Conference Aims to Reduce Threat of Biologic
时间：2019-01-31 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA标准英语（八月）
Geneva
20 August 2007
Experts attending an international conference are calling for quick action to reduce the threat posed by biological weapons. Participants attending the week-long meeting at the United Nations in Geneva say the so-called war on terror makes it more urgent than ever to strengthen the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. Lisa Schlein reports.
Negotiations 1 to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention collapsed 2 in the summer of 2001 after the United States rejected proposed verification measures. Washington said they would do little to deter 3 countries from seeking biological weapons. A short time later terrorists carried out the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
U.N. Disarmament Official, Richard Lennane says the terrorist attacks renewed interest in the treaty.
"There was this recognition that the threats, including the threat of terrorism had really, as you say, focused minds and did increase, what can we say, the flexibility 4 or willingness to cooperate and to find a common approach among the States parties which until then had, as you know, some very stark 5 differences," said Lennane.
The Biological Weapons Convention prohibits the Development, Production and Stockpiling of these Toxic 6 weapons. The Convention, which was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons, was enacted 7 in 1972 and came into force in 1975.
But, the Convention's single greatest weakness is that it has no international verification measures. It does not allow for on-site inspections 8 of industrial facilities to see whether nations are cheating on their commitments.
The Chairman of the Conference, Pakistani Ambassador, Masood Khan, agrees this is a problem. He says there is no common ground on having on-site inspections so countries have essentially 9 given up trying to get an international verification regime. He says they are working on other measures to try to achieve similar results.
"This week we are meeting to take stock of national implementation 10 measures," said Khan.
Besides that, the experts will be looking at ways to control individuals or groups within countries from getting hold of biological weapons. They also will seek to improve cooperation among the different national law enforcement agencies.
- negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
- Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
- Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
- The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
- Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
- Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。
- Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
- The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。
- The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
- He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。
- The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
- There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。
- legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
- Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
- Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
- Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
- She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。