On this day, 53 years ago, April 10, 1972 (February 27, 1972, the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons was signed. The full name of the Biological Weapons Convention is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction. There are 15 articles in the Convention, the main contents of which are: States parties will not develop, produce, stockpile or obtain microbial agents, toxins and weapons other than for peaceful purposes under any circumstances; nor will they assist, encourage or guide other countries to obtain such agents, toxins and weapons; States parties shall destroy all such agents, toxins and their weapons within nine months of the entry into force of the Convention; States parties may complain to the United Nations Security Council of violations of the Convention by other countries. The draft convention was jointly proposed by 12 countries including the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union to the 26th session of the General Assembly on September 28, 1971. The General Assembly adopted a resolution and decided to recommend this convention. Signed on April 10, 1972 in Washington, London and Moscow respectively. The Convention entered into force on March 26, 1975. States adhere to the Convention on a voluntary basis. On September 20, 1984, China decided to accede to the Convention. On November 15, 1984, China deposited instruments of accession with the governments of Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union respectively, and the Convention entered into force for China on the same day. As of July 2001, a total of 162 countries had signed the Convention and 144 countries had ratified it.