"The Vaccines for Peace (VFP) programme was proposed to meet reservations about military misuse of research and development (R&D) on vaccines against pathogens and toxins that are not only natural enemies of living organisms but also can be used as weapon agents, to provide developing countries with vaccines, to narrow the biotechnology gap between North and South and to contribute to conversion of former biological weapon facilities. 21 experts in biotechnology, defence, diplomacy, epidemiology, international law, vaccinology and virology discuss VFP in terms of strengthening the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), vaccine R&D and production, public health and biological defence, and international programmes for prevention of disease, 21 chapters, 6 annexes (including the text of the BWC and the Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference of the BWC), 33 tables and 2 figures."--BOOK JACKET.