‘Muddling through’ in the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention

The paper looks at power in the origins and evolution of the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC). It begins by looking at the origins of what some have termed a taboo surrounding poison weapons, before turning to look at the role of different forms of power in the genesis of the BWC in the late 1960s. The article proceeds to look at the role of institutional power in the evolution of the convention before turning to the limitations generated by the diffused nature of power. The chapter concludes by exploring the literature on public administration, particularly Lindblom’s notion of ‘incrementalism’ to outline how the BWC is essentially ‘muddling through’ and to some extent is largely limited to muddling through because of the consensus rule and the limits of productive power within the BWC.