The Sixth Review Conference, taking into account the importance of providing administrative support to meetings agreed by the Review Conference as well as comprehensive implementation and universalization of the Convention and the exchange of confidence-building measures, decided to establish an Implementation Support Unit (ISU) for the Convention within the Geneva Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

The Seventh Review Conference renewed the mandate of the ISU up until the Eighth Review Conference in 2016. It also added new tasks for the Unit to undertake.

The ISU provides:

• Administrative support and assistance;
• National Implementation support and assistance;
• Support and assistance for Confidence-Building Measures;
• Support and assistance for obtaining universality;
• Administers the database for assistance requests and offers and facilitated associated exchanges of information; and
• Supports States Parties' efforts to implement the decisions and recommendations of the review conference.

For more information see the page on the role of the ISU. The Unit has also developed a number of online tools to assist States Parties in their activities. The three staff members of the ISU are paid for by States Parties.


Reports of the Implementation Support Unit

As part of its mandate, the ISU provides an annual report of its activities to the Meeting of States Parties:

2007 Report (BWC/MSP/2007/3)


2008 Report (BWC/MSP/2008/3)


2009 Report (BWC/MSP/2009/2)


2010 Report (BWC/MSP/2010/2)


2011 Report (BWC/CONF.VII/3)


2012 Report (BWC/MSP/2012/2)