This section contains up to date information on the Biological Weapons Convention, efforts of States Parties, the work of the Chair and activities undertaken by the Implementation Support Unit.




News

• Nauru accedes to the Biological Weapons Convention - the United States, as Depositary Government, confirmed the accession of Nauru to the Convention on 5 March 2013. This brings the membership of the BWC to 168 States Parties.

• BWC 2013 Chairman writes to States Parties - on 18 February, the Chairman of the 2013 meetings of the BWC, Ms. Judit Körömi, wrote to States Parties to outline her plans for the year. The letter also included information on the sponsorship programme, universality and CBMs.

• Cameroon accedes to the Biological Weapons Convention - the United States, as Depositary Government, confirmed the accession of Cameroon to the Convention on 18 January 2013. This brings the membership of the BWC to 167 States Parties.

• The Republic of the Marshall Islands accedes to the Biological Weapons Convention - Washington confirmed the accession of the Marshall Islands on 15 November 2012. This brings the membership of the BWC to 166 States Parties.

• A BWC Factsheet has been issued by UNODA in September 2012.

• BWC 2012 Chair writes to States Parties - On 27 September 2012 the Chairman, Ambassador Boujemâa Delmi of Algeria, wrote to States Parties to update them on preparations for the 2012 Meeting of States Parties (10-14 December). The letter included the Chairman's synthesis paper and a proposed provisional agenda.

• BWC 2012 Chair writes to States Parties - Following regional group consultations, the Chair of the BWC, Ambassador Boujemâa Delmi of Algeria, wrote on 21 June to States Parties. The letter details his plans on: the programme of work; observers and guests of the meeting; background papers; poster session; sponsorship for participation; as well as the next steps. Attached to the letter are: a revised programme of work; a revised allocation of sub-items; and a revised list of invitees.

• BWC 2012 Chair writes to States Parties - On 1 June 2012 the Chair of the BWC, Ambassador Boujemâa Delmi of Algeria, wrote to States Parties detailing his plans for the Meeting of Experts. The letter included plans for: the agenda and programme of work; invited participants; background papers; the outcome of the meeting; as well as sponsorship for participation. Annexed to the letter was: a proposed agenda; a proposed programme of work; a possible allocation of sub-items; and a list of possible invitees.

• Program in International Biological Sciences Security Management - The Public Health Agency of Canada, the Office of Professional Training and Development at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and the University of Bradford (UK) are pleased to announce a cooperative Program in International Biological Sciences Security Management and the pilot offering of the first Advanced Certificate in International Biological Sciences Security workshop this August 2012.

• Update from the Head of the ISU - On 13 April 2012, the Head of the ISU, Mr Richard Lennane, wrote to States Parties on the confirmation of appointments of office holders for 2012. The letter indicates that Ambassador Boujemâa Delmi (Algeria) has been appointed Chair and that Dr. Cezary Lusinski (Poland) and Ambassador Alexandre Fasel (Switzerland) have been appointed as Vice-Chairs.

• Head of ISU writes to States Parties - On 23 March, the Head of the ISU, Mr Richard Lennane, wrote to States Parties. The letter touches upon the appointment of office holders (Chair and Vice-Chairs) for BWC meetings this year, as well as the new sponsorship programme and assistance database associated with work under the treaty.

• BWC 2012 Chair announces his departure from Geneva - On 15 March, the Chair of the BWC, Ambassador Idriss Jazairy of Algeria, wrote to States Parties indicating that he will not be able to continue to Chair the BWC meetings in 2012. Amb. Jazairy stated in the letter that his term in Geneva would conclude on 31 March and proposed a process (similar to that used in 2010) for the appointment of a successor.

• BWC 2012 Chair writes to States Parties - On 27 February 2012, the Chair of the BWC, Ambassador Idriss Jazairy of Algeria, wrote to States Parties detailing his plans for the development of a strategy and programme of work for BWC efforts. The letter also addresses the Sponsorship Prorgamme, CBMs, and Universality. Also attached was an extract from the Final Document of the Seventh Review Conference on the Standing Agenda Items.

News from 2011

• President-designate addresses regional groups - on 29 November the President-designate met with each of the regional groups and introduced the provisional indicative programme of work, provided details of practical arrangements for the review conference and answered questions and queries. His talking points are now available.

• President-designate writes to States Parties - In a pair of letters, the first dated 17 November, the President-designate wrote to States Parties to update them on preparations for the review conference. The letter included a draft provisional indicative programme of work, details of registration and credential procedures as well as information on further consultations. A second letter, dated 18 November, announced another open ended consultation - this time on a new intersessional process. The consultation is due to take place from 13:30 to 15:00 on Wednesday 23 November 2011, in Room XXV.

• The Nonproliferation Review available now! – The Special Issue: Global Perspectives on Re-envisioning the Biological Weapons Convention is the product of a joint project of the European Union Institute for Security Studies and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Collaboration of Taylor and Francis, the publisher of the journal, have made the contents of this special issue available for those involved with the review conference FREE OF COST!

• The NIH on behalf of the US government is sponsoring an international Workshop The Intersection of Science and Security: a Case Study Approach, Continuing the global dialogue with the scientific and science policy community: focus on Asia and the Western Pacific on December 9, 2011, 1:00-4:30 PM on the NIH main campus. The event is being hosted by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, an advisory committee to the NIH Director, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Cabinet-level Departments and Agencies that fund or conduct life sciences research. The purpose of the Workshop is to give attendees a greater understanding of dual use research, including an awareness of strategies for managing dual use research of concern and an appreciation of how these issues are being addressed around the globe and, especially in Asia and the Western Pacific. We hope that you will be able to participate. The attached flyer provides general information about the Workshop and the agenda provides detailed information about the distinguished presenters and panelists from Asia, the Western Pacific and the United States. For more information please visit http://oba.od.nih.gov/biosecurity/internationalwebcast.html and register at http://oba.od.nih.gov/biosecurity/biosecurity_meetings.html.

• Burundi ratifies the Biological Weapons Convention - London confirmed Burundi's ratification on 18 October 2011. This brings the membership of the BWC to 165 States Parties.

• 3rd Annual Meeting of BACAC - the Biosafety Association for Central Asia and the Caucasus held its third annual meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia from 27 to 30 September 2011. The meeting included a series of tranining workshops, expert presentations and a review of implementation of the Laboratory Biorisk Management Standard CWA 15793-2008. Presentations include those on efforts Towards Health Security in Kenya, New Challenges for Biosafety and Biosecurity in Georgia, Biosafety Implications of the National Public Health Laboratory Network, and Considerations of Biosafety and Biosecurity under the BWC Confidence Building Measures, WHO International Health Regulations, and the UN Security Council Resolution 1540.

• Registration open - for the Seventh Review Conference.

• President-designate meets regional groups - The President-designate met the three regional groups between 23 and 28 September 2011 to discuss preparations for the Seventh Review Conference. The President-designate's speaking notes for these meetings are available here.

• Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Program - PEER is a new partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) that is designed to address development challenges through international research collaboration. This competitive grants program will allow scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators on topics of importance to USAID. Areas in which both NSF and USAID have strong mutual interests include, but are not limited to, the following: Food security topics; Global health issues such as ecology of infectious disease, biomedical engineering, and natural/human system interactions; Climate change impacts such as water sustainability, hydrology, ocean acidification, climate process and modeling, and environmental engineering; Other development topics including disaster mitigation, biodiversity, water, and renewable energy. The PEER application form, proposal preparation instructions, and FAQs are available online at http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer. Applicants who have questions after reviewing these materials are encouraged to contact PEER staff by e-mail at peer@nas.edu or by telephone at +1-202-334-3656 or +1-202-334-1728.

• Informal briefing on the Implementation Support Unit: As part of preparations for the Seventh Review Conference, the President-designate has invited all States Parties and signatories to an informal briefing on the ISU, to be held from 11:30-13:00 on Wednesday 7 September in Room XII. The briefing will cover the origins, mandate, structure, financing and operations of the ISU, and will provide an opportunity for delegations to ask questions and seek clarifications on various aspects which may be relevant in deciding the future of the Unit.

• Course on Applied Dual-Use Biosecurity, Biosafety and Bioethics - The Public Health Agency of Canada and the University of Bradford are pleased to announce the delivery of a university-level accredited pilot course on applied dual-use biosecurity, biosafety and bioethics that is intended to benefit an international audience and will be given at the Carleton University in Ottawa from September 19-30, 2011. This collaborative course is the first step in the development of a joint curriculum on biosafety, biosecurity and bioethics for life scientists. The intention of the course is to help participants develop an understanding of the concepts of biosafety and biosecurity in the laboratory setting, and highlight the ethical, legal and social relevance of dual-use biosecurity. The course will cover approaches to biosafety and biosecurity risk assessment; risk mitigation strategies; capacity building for biosafety, biosecurity, and bioethics training; and the range of issues surrounding the responsible use of dual-use biotechnology. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Participation from the Public Health Agency of Canada and be awarded 30 UK Higher Education Master’s-level credits and a Certificate of Continuing Education from the University of Bradford. These credits may be transferable. The deadline for submitting applications is August 26th, 2011. Please take advantage of this unique opportunity by completing the attached application form as space is limited to a maximum of 40 participants. Applications will be considered and selected participants will be notified by September 2nd, 2011. Please note that the course will be offered in English only. We also encourage you to distribute this email to any of your colleagues who may be interested in applying. A registration form for the course is now available in both English and French.

• President-designate writes to States Parties - The President-designate has written to States Parties on efforts to expand treaty membership and progress in preparing for the review conference. The letter, dated 6 June 2011, covered: requests for inputs for background documents; the development of substantive proposals; and information on universalization.

• Workshop: Countering Biological Threats: National Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention and Multinational Outbreak Response and Bioterrorism Investigation Demonstration - From 17-19 May 2011, the Georgian Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs as well as the National Center for Disease Control of Georgia, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services held this event in Tbilisi, Georgia. The objective of the event was to: (1) strengthen regional/international communication & collaboration on biothreat prevention, deterrence, and response; (2) enhance awareness of criminal and terrorist networks and cross-border proliferation; as well as to (3) create regional work groups for enduring cooperation and sharing of regional resources to improve local laboratory capabilities for disease surveillance and control. The workshop summary is now available, as are presentations on Biosafety and Biosecurity Reporting underthe BWC Confidence Building Measures, WHO International Health Regulations, andUN Security Council Resolution 1540, as well as Political Agreements and Understandings Reached During the 2007-2010 Work Program of the Biological Weapons Convention

• Mozambique joins the Biological Weapons Convention - Mozambique deposited its instrument of accession in London on 29 March 2011, becoming a State Party to the BWC and bringing the membership of the treaty to 164. The President-designate of the Seventh Review Conference of the BWC, Ambassador Paul van den IJssel (Netherlands), warmly welcomed the accession, saying "I congratulate the Government of Mozambique on taking this important step to join the efforts of the international community to strengthen international security by ensuring that biological science and technology is used only for the benefit of people around the world". The President-designate added that by acceding to the BWC Mozambique was setting an example for other African states which are yet to join the treaty. "Mozambique's action demonstrates that the treaty is relevant and provides concrete benefits for security and development, especially in Africa", he said. "I look forward to welcoming the delegation of Mozambique to the Seventh Review Conference as a State Party to the BWC, and to working with Mozambique to further the aims of the treaty in Africa and around the world".

• President-designate meets regional groups - The President-designate met the three regional groups between 17 and 25 February 2011 for an initial consultation and exchange of views on preparations for the Seventh Review Conference. The President-designate's speaking notes for these meetings are available here.

• President-designate writes to States Parties - The President-designate of the Seventh Review Conference, Ambassador Paul van den IJssel of the Netherlands, wrote to States Parties on 25 January 2011 to outline his plans for preparing for the Seventh Review Conference.

• President-designate meets United Nations Secretary-General - The President-designate met the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in Geneva on 25 January on 2011, and invited him to address the opening of the Seventh Review Conference.

News from 2010

• Chair provides information to regional groups - the Chairman provided this note to the three regional groups, outlining arrangements for the Meeting of States Parties (6-10 December 2010). Attached to the note was the proposed indicative schedule for the Meeting.

• Chair writes to States Parties with agenda and synthesis paper - The Chairman wrote to States Parties on 15 October to outline his plans for the Meeting of States Parties (Geneva, 6-10 December 2010). Attached to the letter were advance versions of the provisional agenda for the Meeting of States Parties, and the Chairman's synthesis paper.

• Trilateral Civilian-Military Forum on Outbreak Response and Bioterrorism Investigation - From 19-21 October 2010 representatives from the United States of America, Romania and the Republic of Moldova will gather to promote interagency cooperation (including military-to-military, and military-to-civilian), coordination and synchronization for preparing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease outbreaks, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate in nature. The event will help to establish sustainable laboratory partnerships to enhance training and medical surveillance initiatives with host nation counterparts, strengthen core capacities required by the WHO International Health Regulations and existing national measures consistent with obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention and the UN Security Council Resolution 1540 to deter, prevent, or respond to biological incidents or threats.

• Czech Republic offer to provide assistance in implementing BWC - The Czech Republic has honour to offer assistance to the State Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in implementing their BTWC obligations by sharing its own experience and capabilities. The Czech Republic offers, inter alia, to provide assistance to other State Parties in adopting administrative measures required for the full implementation of the BTWC and developing legislation to ensure national implementation, including regulatory frameworks for handling of biological pathogens and toxins. National authority of the Czech Republic (State Office for Nuclear safety) offers assistance in preparation of national Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and of computerized data collation as a basis for national CBMs. National inspectors working in established national inspection framework are prepared to share experiences with relevant national stakeholders from State Parties to help verify information declared in CBMs. The Czech Republic is also prepared to offer practical training courses for first responders, medical personnel or inspection teams including the necessary infrastructure, training facilities, investigation experts and national BTWC inspectors. Full contact details are available in the restricted access section of this website. For further information, please contact the Implementation Support Unit.

• New Chairman appointed, writes to States Parties: On 12 July, Ambassador Pedro Oyarce of Chile was officially appointed as Chairman of the 2010 Meeting of Experts and Meeting of States Parties. The new Chairman wrote to States Parties the same day, outlining his plans for continuing the preparations for the Meeting of Experts (23-27 August). The letter included an indicative schedule for the meeting.

• New course on WMD disarmament: a course on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in a Changing World will be held in The Hague from 30 August to 3 September 2010. Developed by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut in partnership with the OPCW, this new 1-week summer programme aims to provide broad-based understanding of international WMD treaties for young professionals and advanced graduate students who aspire to careers in disarmament and non-proliferation. The inter-disciplinary course content will be delivered by specialized academics from institutes in the Netherlands and officials from the BWC Implementation Support Unit, CTBTO, IAEA, OPCW, and UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. For more information, interested applicants should visit the Asser Instituut website here.

• Southern Caucasus Southern Caucasus Collaboration and Collaboration and Partnership in Countering Partnership in Countering Biological Threats - from 11-12 May 2010 the Southern Caucasus Bioshield 2010 workshop (US Department of Health and Human Services information) (Georgian National Center for Disease Control and Public Health information) and table-top exercise was held in Tbilisi, Georgia. It saw around 80 participants from governments, international organizations and non-governmental bodies, from both security and law enforcement sectors, gather to address multi-layered systems of defense for public health security. It also focused on epidemiological surveillance and investigations.

• Chair addresses regional groups - on 29 & 30 March 2010, the Chairman briefed the regional groups on his plans for the year. He informed them that due to a change of Government in Chile he was no longer going to be able to chair the meetings. Measures are currently being put in place to ensure that there will be a suitable Chair as soon as possible. The remainder of the address provided an outline for the work of the BWC throughout 2010. Amb. Portales' remarks highlighted how the topic can be broken down into national & international, as well as health & security aspects (see below & slide). The Chair also detailed preparations for the Meeting of Experts, including: the provision of background information; identifying international, regional and professional expertise; details of relevant national efforts; the different mechanisms for sharing information; as well as the provision of assistance for participation in the meeting. The briefing also covered efforts on universalization, CBMs, and preparations for the 7th Review Conference.

	National	International
Health	National capacity for public health/veterinary and humanitarian response	International public health/veterinary and humanitarian response channels
Security	National forensic investigation capacity	International mechanisms and assistance for investigation

• Chair writes to States Parties on plans for 2010 - The letter, dated 25 February, focuses on a practical approach to 2010 and encourages States Parties to focus on the question "If a biological weapon were to be used tomorrow, how would we, the States Parties, individually and collectively respond"? The Chair points out that this topic will involve a wide range of actors and considerations and stresses the importance of being well prepared. He outlines how he intend to ensure the work of the BWC in 2010 follows the established practices and to engage all those who will need to be involved to ensure another successful outcome. The letter discusses the Chair's intentions on universalization and identifies a range of efforts he will be pursuing over the coming months. It also includes a reminder of the CBM submission deadline and an enquiry as to the best way to proceed on preparations for the Seventh Review Conference in 2011.

• ISU off to a busy start in 2010 - During February the ISU contributed to four events in three continents. They participated in the 1540 workshop in Nairobi, Kenya (1-5 February 2010), a biosafety and biosecurity event in Mainz, Germany (6 February), the Second Regional South Asian International Humanitarian Law Conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh (15-18 February) and Biosafety and Biosecurity: Implementing the Recommendations Relevant to the Biological Weapons Convention, in Kiev, Ukraine (15-17 February).

Older news items are available on the News Archive page.

Communications

• First letter from the 2010 Chair to States Parties (dated 25 February 2010).
• Second letter from the Chairman to States Parties (dated 12 July 2010) with annex.
• Third letter from the Chairman to States Parties (dated 15 October 2010) with attached provisional agenda and synthesis paper.

Other Interesting Bits and Pieces

• The Bradford Disarmament Research Centre along with the National Defence Medical College in Japan and the Landau Network Centro Volta in Italy have developed an Educational Module Resources (EMR) designed to support life scientists and educators in learning about biosecurity and dual-use issues but also in building educational material for teaching of students. The EMR is now available in: English; Japanese; Russian; French; and Romanian / Moldovan.

• How synthetic biology is changing the way we look at biology and biological threats - a webcast discussing issues surrounding synthetic biology, DIYbio and how it relates to biosecurity was held by the Synthetic Biology Project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. It included presentations by Edward You (a special agent with the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, Countermeasures Unit, Bioterrorism Team) and Jason Bobe (co-founder of DIYbio).

• Canada strengthens national implementation - On June 23 in Ottawa Bill C-11, "The Human Pathogens and Toxins Act", received Royal Assent. The Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA) is designed to protect the health and safety of the public in Canada against the risks posed by human pathogens and toxins, while allowing science and research to progress. The HPTA establishes legal prohibitions and authorities to govern human pathogens and toxins in Canada, and brings into legal force a number of obligations including the requirement for those responsible for activities involving certain human pathogens or toxins to provide basic information to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada website at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ols-bsl/pathogen/register-eng.php has more detailed information on the HPTA, including the text of the Act itself as well as forms and guidance regarding the obligations and prohibitions.

• Handbook of Applied Biosecurity for Life Science Laboratories published - This handbook provides guidance for personnel who work with infectious pathogens and toxins that may affect the health of humans, animals and plants. It aims to engage scientists, laboratory employees and students in laboratory biosecurity, and to provide practical advice that will ensure the secure handling and storage of biological materials.

• FASEB adopt statement on dual use research and biosecurity education - on 5 March 2009, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology issued a press release on the adoption of their statement in support of awareness and education on dual use life sciences research.