Disarmament in Review
Aims and Objectives
Review Conferences of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) have regularly asserted that increasing the membership of the BWC is of great importance. However, there are still 14 States which are not yet party to the BWC, mostly in Africa and the Pacific.
This project therefore involves specific programmes to encourage these States to join the BWC, which will be conducted in cooperation with other relevant actors, particularly regional and sub-regional organizations
The project will provide tailored informational materials where necessary and engage directly with States in the relevant regions.
Implementation
- In-country universalisation activities will be conducted in four States not party to the BWC. Those countries will be selected based on actual prospects with respect to ratification/accession to the Convention. The activities will build on the discussions and outcomes from previous regional workshops and will be tailored to national circumstances.
- In addition, the project foresees two regional workshops, one for Africa and one for the Pacific region, in order to capitalise on the geographical proximity of several States not party to the BWC and to encourage regional dialogue in order to sustain universalisation efforts. The workshop for the Pacific region was held in Wellington, New Zealand in September 2019.
- The regional workshop for Africa was held virtually on 4 March 2021. It was organized in cooperation with the BWC Implementation Support Unit and Ambassador Cleopa K. Mailu of Kenya, Chairperson of the BWC Meeting of States Parties. The virtual workshop was aimed at increasing awareness about the BWC and at Stressing the importance of the convention in the African context.
Ambassador Marjolijn van Deelen, EU Special Envoy for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament addressed the audience during the opening segment. The three BWC depositary governments, the Russian Federation, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States, addressed the participants through video messages.
- H.E. Mr. Gennady Gatilov
- Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
- H.E. Mr. Aidan Liddle
- Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament
- Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
- H.E. Mr. Robert Wood
- U.S. Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament
- Special Representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Issues
- Permanent Mission of the United States of America to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
- Experts from the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET Africa) and Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) presented the work of their respective organizations. The States not party to the BWC shared insights on their national considerations on joining the Convention.
- Under this sub-project, also a sponsorship element is included in order to bring key officials from States not yet party to the BWC to its meetings in Geneva.
- All universalisation efforts build upon activities undertaken in the framework of previous European Union Council Decisions.
