Project 1, Regional Workshops, addresses the importance of raising awareness among relevant national and regional officials and experts about different aspects of BWC implementation by: supporting key regional actors in defining needs and requirements for national implementation; discussing best practices for national implementation; and discussing intersessional program topics and their application in a regional context.

The results envisioned for Project 1 are an enhanced understanding of the BWC among relevant national authorities, strengthened regional networking to promote accession to and implementation of the BWC, identification of requirements and needs for enhancing implementation of the BWC, and the creation of and/or support for national and regional biosafety associations.

Four regional workshops will be held in total, one in each of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.


Several international and non-governmental organisations have published useful information, addressing issues to be discussed at the regional workshops:

WHO	Biosafety and Biosecurity	http://www.who.int/ihr/biosafety/publications/en/index.html
OIE	Biosafety and Biosecurity	http://www.oie.int/international-standard-setting/terrestrial-manual/
INTERPOL	Biocrimes and Biorisks	http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Terrorism/CBRNE-Terrorism-Prevention-Programme/Bioterrorism-Prevention-Unit
UNSC Committee 1540	National Implementation	http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/index.shtml
UNICRI	CBRN Risk Mitigation	http://www.unicri.it/security/
VERTIC	National implementation and Ratification/ Accession	http://www.vertic.org/pages/homepage/programmes/national-implementation-measures/biological-weapons-and-materials.php

For the Seventh Review Conference in 2011, the BWC ISU prepared several Background information documents on other relevant issues:

History and operation of the confidence-building measures	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.1
Compliance by States Parties with their obligations under the Convention	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.2 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.2/Add.1
New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Add.1 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Corr.1 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Corr.2 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Add.2 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Add.3
Additional understandings and agreements reached by previous Review Conferences relating to each article of the Convention	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.5
Common understandings reached by the Meetings of States Parties during the intersessional programme held from 2007 to 2010	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.6
Status of universalization of the Convention	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.7
Implementation of Article X of the Convention	BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8/Corr.1 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8/Add.1 BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8/Add.1/Corr.1