To promote the full implementation of Article X, the Seventh Review Conference in 2011 decided to establish a “database to facilitate the exchange of requests for, and offers to provide, assistance and cooperation among States Parties”. The Conference invited States Parties, individually or together with other states or international organizations, “to submit on a voluntary basis to the Implementation Support Unit any requirements, needs or offers for assistance, including in terms of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information regarding the use of biological and toxin agents for peaceful purposes.”

The Conference mandated the Implementation Support Unit to establish and administer a database where the requests and offers would be stored; to facilitate, on request, the exchange of information among States Parties relating to the database and any resulting cooperation and assistance activities; and to report to States Parties on the operation of the database detailing the offers made, requests sought and matches made during a calendar year. As decided by the 2013 Meeting of States Parties, the offers of assistance are publicly available on the BWC website, while the requests for assistance are only available to States Parties (username and password are needed).

The Eighth Review Conference decided to continue the database. It also mandated that the 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.” In response to a call by the ISU, several States Parties submitted inputs which have contributed to an improved Database.

The Interactive Database

The interactive database has been introduced at the Meeting of States Parties to the BWC in December 2017.

In case States Parties wish to upload new offers/requests, they are advised to directly contact the BWC ISU (bwc@un.org).

• The modalities for the submission/processing of requests/offers can be found here.
• The user guide for the new database can be found here.
• Assistance offer and request templates (word.doc) can be found here. In order for the database to reach its full potential with the aim of comprehensive implementation of Article X, States Parties are encouraged to submit their requests and offers for assistance.