Aims and Objectives

This project involves the provision of focused and sustained support throughout the three-year implementation period of the current Council Decision to five beneficiary countries. The project aims to carry forward the activities initiated under the Extended Assistance Programmes of European Union Council Decision 2016/51/CFSP. 

The Extended Assistance Programmes are aimed at developing capacities within States Parties to, inter alia, achieve the following results:

• adopt the appropriate legislative or administrative measures for BWC implementation
• support effective implementation and enforcement  of the BWC
• facilitate better national coordination and networking among all stakeholders involved in implementation
• promote awareness-raising programmes, codes of conduct and standards for biosafety and biosecurity
• create or enhance national mechanisms for the compilation of the required information for the annual submission of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs)

Implementation

Through this project, UNODA will provide expert support for beneficiary countries to develop capacities in their self-identified areas of need in support of the effective implementation of the BWC at the national level. After a call for applications was issued in February 2019 and circulated amongst the Permanent Missions of eligible BWC States Parties in Geneva, the following five beneficiaries have been selected:

• Botswana
• Jamaica
• State of Palestine
• Papua New Guinea
• Viet Nam

Implementation will be carried out in close collaboration with the beneficiaries and assistance provided by experts and national institutions of EU Member States. UNODA will also continue to partner with the UN Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) and Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence as well as non-governmental organisations and think tanks.

Peer Review Exercises

Under this project up to three peer review exercises will be undertaken. Peer reviews were previously conducted by the following States Parties:

• France in 2013 (BWC/CONF.VII/WP.28, BWC/MSP/2013/WP.8, BWC/MSP/2014/WP.3)  
• Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg in 2015 (BWC/MSP/2015/MX/WP.13, BWC/MSP/2015/MX/WP.13/ Rev.1, BWC/MSP/2015/WP.12, BWC/CONF.VIII/PC/WP.13,  BWC/CONF.VIII/PC/WP.26) 
• Germany in 2016 (BWC/CONF.VIII/WP.11, BWC/CONF.VIII/WP.11/Corr.1, BWC/CONF.VIII/WP.29) 
• Morocco in 2017 (BWC/MSP/2017/WP.1) 
• Georgia in 2018 (BWC/MSP/2018/MX.3/WP.2, . BWC/MSP/2018/WP.5 , BWC/MSP/2018/WP.5/Corr.1)  

Depending on their exact scope, peer reviews can help to build confidence, contribute to strengthening national implementation by sharing best practices among participating States Parties and also facilitate international cooperation and assistance.

States Benefiting from current and previous Capacity Building Projects

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