The Sponsorship Programme for participation in   

official BWC meetings in 2023 is now open

About 

The Sponsorship Programme supports developing States to send their representatives to official BWC meetings in Geneva. These meetings include the Review Conference, which takes place every five years, as well as Meetings that occur in the intersessional period between Review Conferences.  

The Sponsorship Programme was established by the Seventh Review Conference (2011) and subsequently renewed by the Eighth Review Conference (2016) and most recently by the Ninth Review Conference (2022).   
  
The Sponsorship Programme is funded by voluntary contributions from States Parties. It covers the costs associated with the participation of selected individuals in official BWC meetings in Geneva, including roundtrip airfare, terminal expenses and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA). The Programme is administered by the Convention’s Implementation Support Unit (ISU), in consultation with the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Meetings of States Parties. 

Priority for sponsorship is given to developing States Parties that have not previously participated in BWC meetings or those that have been unable to regularly send experts from capital. Sponsorship may also be provided, depending on the availability of resources, to enhance participation by States not party to the BWC, in order to promote the universalization of the Convention.  

Meetings and Application Deadlines 

For 2023, the ISU is accepting applications under the Sponsorship Programme for the following official meetings of the BWC: 

Meeting	Meeting Dates	Application Deadline
Second Meeting of the Working Group on the strengthening of the Convention	7 – 18 August 2023	15 May 2023
Third Meeting of the Working Group on the strengthening of the Convention	4 – 8 December 2023	15 September 2023
BWC Meeting of States Parties	11 – 13 December 2023	15 September 2023

How to apply  

Developing States wishing to apply for sponsorship should: 

1. nominate suitably qualified candidates to attend meetings on behalf of the State. Such persons should: 

• Have relevant subject matter expertise OR have responsibilities related to BWC implementation within the State (e.g. experts from relevant national institutes, officials from government agencies or ministries covering issues relating to the BWC); 
• Commit to attending the entirety of the Meeting for which sponsorship is sought, as well as any activities organized for beneficiaries of the Sponsorship Programme. This could include, inter alia, actively participating in the meetings, making an intervention on behalf of the State regarding the status of ratification/accession, implementation or reporting on the Convention, etc; and 
• Be comfortable in at least one of the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish). 

In order to promote gender equality, applications from suitably qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.  

2. Complete the application form (available online in English and French), specifying the candidate’s area of expertise, interest and how they are planning to contribute to the meeting (for example, by actively participating in meetings, providing a national statement, etc). 

3.Establish contact with their respective Permanent Mission in Geneva. The Permanent Mission may be in a position to facilitate and coordinate their participation in the Meeting. Contact details of the Permanent Missions in Geneva are available here. 

4. Ensure that a note verbale is sent to the ISU (bwc@un.org) containing the name of the nominated applicant and the official stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Permanent Mission of the State that the expert will be representing. Applications without a Note Verbale submitted on time will not be considered. 

5. Submit their application, including a scanned copy of the data page of the applicant’s passport, by the following deadlines: 

• Second Meeting of the Working Group on the strengthening of the Convention: 15 May  
• Third Meeting of the Working Group on the strengthening of the Convention: 15 Sep 
• Meeting of States Parties: 15 Sep 

All requests for sponsorship will be reviewed by the BWC office holders in accordance with the criteria identified by the Seventh Review Conference and taking into account the availability of resources, after which the applicants will be informed of the outcome. 

As funding for the Sponsorship Programme is limited, it is likely that not all applications will be successful.  

Terms and Conditions