Disarmament in Review
- Status of contributions – On 31 December 2016, the Financial Resources Management Service of the United Nations Office at Geneva circulated a summary of the financial contributions to the four disarmament conventions. Detailed information pertaining to the contributions to the BWC is contained in Annex II of the document.
- Improving the Cooperation & Assistance Database – The Eighth Review Conference mandated that the Implementation Support Unit (ISU), with inputs to be provided by States Parties, “will seek to improve the database to ensure that it is more user-friendly and comprehensive, and ensure that specific, timely and concrete offers of and requests for cooperation be provided by States Parties in the database.” The ISU therefore wrote to States Parties on 15 December to invite them to submit inputs on the cooperation and assistance database with a view to its improvement.
- Report on Biotechnology in Developing Countries – The CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology and Clarivate Analytics jointly issued in November 2016 a report entitled ‘Biotechnology in Developing Countries: Growth and Competitiveness’. The document provides an assessment of research and development activities carried out by developing countries in the field of biotechnology. Analyses focus on research and patent publications between 2005 and 2014, which are evaluated at both overall and regional level and further disaggregated by 32 biotechnology sub-categories as well as all the developing countries defined by CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology.
- Status of contributions – On 30 November 2016, the Financial Resources Management Service of the United Nations Office at Geneva circulated a summary of the financial contributions to the four disarmament conventions. Detailed information pertaining to the contributions to the BWC is contained in Annex II of the document.
- Guinea accedes to the BWC – The United Kingdom informed the ISU that Guinea deposited its instrument of accession to the BWC in London on 10 November 2016. As of this date, Guinea is therefore the 178th State Party to the Convention.
- Liberia and Nepal ratify the BWC – The United States of America informed the ISU that Liberia and Nepal both deposited their instruments of ratification to the BWC in Washington, DC on 4 November 2016. As of this date, Liberia and Nepal are therefore the 176th and 177th States Parties to the Convention.
- First Committee adopts BWC resolution – On 28 October, the First Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted draft resolution A/C.1/71/L.56 on the BWC without a vote. The resolution urges all BWC States Parties to “build upon the discussions of the Preparatory Committee and to continue to work together to achieve a consensus outcome of the Eighth Review Conference”.
- Joint ministerial statement – The following joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of Hungary, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States was delivered by President-Designate Ambassador György Molnár at a plenary session of the United Nations First Committee in New York on 17 October 2016 ：
Joint Statement on the Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference
The Foreign Ministers of Hungary, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States underline the fundamental importance of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention as a key pillar of international security and of the pressing need to enhance its effectiveness. The Foreign Ministers look forward to the Eighth Review Conference of the Convention in November this year agreeing on substantive measures that will significantly strengthen the Convention and contribute in a measurable way to reducing the threat of biological agents being used as weapons. We are committed to work hard and constructively to this end, and we call upon all States Parties to approach the Conference in a similar spirit and come ready to take the necessary decisions to ensure that the Convention serves its purpose in an effective and sustainable manner.
- A report on the PrepCom in April and August 2016 – The Harvard Sussex Program on Chemical and Biological Weapons has published a report on the Preparatory Committee which met in April and August 2016.
- Status of contributions – On 17 October 2016, the Financial Resources Management Service of the United Nations Office at Geneva circulated a summary of the financial contributions to the four disarmament conventions. Detailed information pertaining to the contributions to the BWC is contained in Annex II of the document.
- Letter from the President-Designate – On 6 October 2016, the President-Designate of the Eighth Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, wrote to States Parties. In his letter, Ambassador Molnár provides an update on preparations for the upcoming Review Conference which will take place in Geneva from 7-25 November.
- Report on a science advisory process for the BWC – On 26 April 2016, the UK Royal Society, the Polish Academy of Sciences and the US National Academy of Sciences convened a roundtable on a science advisory process for the BWC on behalf of the IAP: Global Network of Science Academies. The event brought together technical experts, science advice practitioners and key stakeholders from 13 countries. This report summarizes the discussions.
- Angola accedes to the BWC – The United States of America has informed the ISU that Angola deposited its instrument of accession to the BWC in Washington, DC on 26 July 2016. As of this date, Angola is therefore the 175th State Party to the Convention.
- Bradford University publishes “Key Points for the Eighth Review Conference” – The University of Bradford has published a 400 page document entitled “Key Points for the Eighth Review Conference” which provides an Article by Article review of the BWC. Each chapter commences by stating the relevant Article of the Convention and recalling the section relating to that Article in the Final Declaration of the Seventh Review Conference in 2011. The developments since the Seventh Review Conference relevant to that Article are then outlined before addressing the issues for the Eighth Review Conference and each chapter ends by recommending points to be considered both for the section dealing with that Article in the Final Declaration and, where appropriate, for the Decisions and Recommendations part of the Final Document.
- Advance versions of background papers available – The ISU has made available “advance versions” of the five background information documents requested by the Preparatory Committee meeting in April. The documents cover the following subjects the history and operation of the confidence-building measures, the financial implications of proposals for follow-on action after the Eighth Review Conference, the additional understandings and agreements reached by previous Review Conferences relating to each article of the Convention, the common understandings reached by the Meetings of States Parties during the intersessional programme held from 2012 to 2015, and the status of universalization of the Convention. An advance version of a report of the ISU on its activities to implement its mandate from 2012 to 2016 has also been made available. All six documents are accessible in the PrepCom webpage.
- Chairman briefs regional groups – On 21 June, the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, briefed the Western Group, the Eastern European Group and the Group of NAM and Other States on preparations for the Preparatory Committee meeting that will take place from 8 to 12 August. His comments are available here.
- Introductory Workshop on the Eighth BWC Review Conference – On Monday 27 June, the BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU), the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI) will organize a workshop on the Eighth BWC Review Conference. The workshop is aimed at national delegates based in Geneva who will be participating in this year’s BWC meetings who are either new to Geneva or who are less familiar with the BWC, its implementation and working practices. The workshop’s main objective is to contribute towards effective preparations for the Eighth BWC Review Conference by helping participants to become more familiar with the Review Conference’s processes, structures, and the main issues for discussion in order to maximise their participation. The workshop is modelled on similar events co-organized by the ISU in previous years. The invitation and provisional programme are available here. The workshop will take place at the Maison de la paix on Chemin Eugène-Rigot in Geneva. Powerpoint slides from six panels and presentations are avalible to view here.
- President-Designate meets Secretary-General – On 1 June, the President-Designate of the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Ambassador Molnár briefed the Secretary-General on the status of the BWC and on preparations for the Review Conference which will take place in Geneva in November. Ambassador Molnár also invited the Secretary-General to attend the opening of the Review Conference on 7 November.
- Letter from the President-Designate – On 25 May 2016, the President-Designate, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, wrote to States Parties. In the letter, Ambassador Molnár provides his assessment of the April session of the Preparatory Committee and describes his plans regarding the preparations for the resumed session in August.
- President-Designate addresses NATO conference on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation – On 9 May, the President-Designate of the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, addressed the Twelfth Annual NATO Conference on WMD Arms Control, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Second African conference on emerging infectious diseases and biosecurity – On 27-29 July the Second African conference on emerging infectious diseases and biosecurity will take place in Lagos, Nigeria. The conference will revisit the Dakar Declaration agreed at the first such conference in January 2015. More information about the conference can be found here.
- Recruitment for implementation of EU project – The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Geneva Branch, is seeking a P3 Political Affairs Officer to work on the implementation of the three-year European Union Council Decision 2016/51 in support of the BWC. The Job Opening has been posted on the UN Careers website and the application deadline is 17 June 2016.
- Recent reports from IAP: The InterAcademy Partnership –The newly-released report Doing Global Science: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in the Global Research Enterprise serves as a practical guide to inform conduct of scientific research in today’s global setting. Several reports have also been released on developments in science and technology relevant to the Convention. The non-technical conference report arising from an IAP workshop convened in September 2015 is available for download directly from the UK Royal Society. This meeting brought together 72 delegates from 30 countries to identify scientific developments and discuss issues that may be of relevance to State Parties in preparing for the Eighth Review Conference. The IAP Biosecurity Working Group website also contains summaries of topical scientific discussion held during the intersessional period, including on Design and Use of Microbial Production Systems (August 2015) and Understanding Pathogenicity (August 2014).
- CBM submissions – As of the 15 April deadline for submission of annual reports under the BWC’s system of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), the ISU had received 50 such reports. The reports submitted cover activities in calendar year 2015. All submitted CBMs are accessible to BWC States Parties in the restricted area of the BWC website, and CBMs which the submitting State Party has consented to being made public are available here.
- Preparations for the Preparatory Committee (26-27 April) – Preparations for the upcoming PrepCom meeting are proceeding. A number of working papers are already available on the PrepCom page. Furthermore, two side events are already scheduled on 26 April. One will be hosted by the Russian Federation on “Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention” introducing two working papers, and one by the European Union launching the new EU Council Decision in support of the BWC. Further documents and side events are anticipated and will also be listed on the PrepCom page.
- Chairman briefs regional groups – On 5 April, the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, briefed the Western Group, the Eastern European Group and the Group of NAM and Other States on preparations for the Preparatory Committee meeting that will take place from 26-27 April. His comments are available here.
- Chairman’s remarks to roundtable in Tanzania – On 3 April, remarks on the BWC by the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, were distributed at a regional roundtable organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action in Dar-es-Salaam. In his remarks, Ambassador Molnár encouraged Tanzania and neighbouring States to join the BWC.
- Côte d’Ivoire ratifies the BWC – The Russian Federation has informed the ISU that Côte d’Ivoire deposited its instrument of ratification to the BWC in Moscow on 23 March 2016. As of this date, Côte d’Ivoire is therefore the 174th State Party to the Convention.
- EU Council Decision CFSP/2016/51 in support of the BWC has now entered its implementation phase. Mr Jean-Pascal Zanders (Political Affairs Officer) from Belgium and Mr Kwasi Yankey (Administrative Assistant) from Ghana are currently working on the project in a temporary capacity at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in Geneva. A Job Opening for the fixed-term G5 Administrative Assistant is already available on the UN Careers website, and the fixed-term P3 Political Affairs Officer post will be advertised within weeks. Furthermore, a vacancy for a UN Volunteer at the United Nations United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa in Lomé, Togo has just been advertised. The staff are now working on preparations for a series of four regional workshops to take place before the Eighth BWC Review Conference in November
- Letter from the Chairman – On 21 March 2016, the Chairman, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, wrote to States Parties. The letter outlines the ongoing preparations for the BWC States Parties’ first meeting of the year, the meeting of the Preparatory Committee that will take place from 26 to 27 April in Geneva.
- ISU sends out an information letter on the forthcoming Preparatory Committee – On 17 March 2016, the ISU sent an information letter to BWC States Parties and Signatory States on the Preparatory Committee that will take place in April 2016. An Aide-Mémoire was attached to the letter.
- A report on the Meeting of States Parties 2015 – A report from the Harvard Sussex Program on Chemical and Biological Weapons has been published on the 2015 Meeting of States Parties. A summary is also available.
- Chairman’s remarks to roundtable in Nepal – On 27 February, remarks on the BWC by the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, were distributed at a roundtable organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action. In his remarks, Ambassador Molnár encouraged Nepal to ratify the BWC and said: “I am encouraged to learn that over recent years Nepal has made great strides towards joining the Convention, and I am especially pleased that the Cabinet has recently referred the BWC to the Constituent Assembly.”
- Second Gain of Function (GOF) symposium – On 10-11 March in Washington, DC, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a free, public, international meeting to serve as a forum for experts and members of the public to discuss the existing policies governing GOF research and the potential for improved oversight mechanisms. The meeting will involve significant time for public comments, both in person or via an international, free webcast. Comments are invited prior to and during the meeting, and any questions or comments may be submitted to gof@nas.edu
- Chairman briefs regional groups – On 8 February, the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Eighth BWC Review Conference, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, briefed the Western Group (14.00), the Eastern European Group (15.00) and the Group of NAM and Other States (16:00) on preparations for the Preparatory Committee meeting that will take place from 26-27 April. His comments are available here.
- Letter from the Chairman – On 27 January the Chairman, Ambassador György Molnár of Hungary, wrote to States Parties to outline the preparations for the Preparatory Committee in April and August and for the Review Conference in November. The letter included a number of specific requests for reflections, insights, and considerations.
- European Union announces new support to the BWC – On 18 January 2016, the Council of the European Union adopted “Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/51 in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction”. The Decision will provide over EUR 2 million to projects related to the BWC over the next three years. The text of the Decision is available here.
- ISU sends out CBM reminder letter – On 15 January the ISU sent a reminder letter to States Parties that the deadline for the submission of 2016 CBMs is 15 April 2016.
