The Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention was held at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 5 to 22 December 2011. The Conference concluded on 22 December 2011 with the adoption of its Final Document.

The Preparatory Committee for the review conference was held in Geneva from 13-15 April 2011.

Ambassador Paul van den IJssel of the Netherlands was President of the Seventh Review Conference and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee.

Communications from the President, updates on his activities and contact details can be found on the President's page.

Final Document of the Seventh Review Conference




Official Documents of the Conference

PLEASE NOTE: Different language versions of these documents are being published as the translations are completed. If a link below does not seem to work, it is because that language version of the particular document has not yet been released. Please check the link again soon.

BWC/CONF.VII/1 Provisional agenda

BWC/CONF.VII/2 Provisional indicative programme of work

BWC/CONF.VII/3 2011 Report of the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/3/Corr.1 2011 Report of the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/4 Estimated costs of the intersessional programme of the Convention to be held from 2012-2015

BWC/CONF.VII/4/Rev.1 Estimated costs of the intersessional programme of the Convention to be held from 2012-2015

BWC/CONF.VII/5 Report of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/6 Report of the Credentials Committee

BWC/CONF.VII/7 Final Document of the Seventh Review Conference

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.1 History and operation of the confidence-building measures - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.2 Compliance by States Parties with their obligations under the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.2/Add.1 Compliance by States Parties with their obligations under the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit - Addendum (submissions from States Parties)

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3 New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Add.1 New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention - Addendum (submissions from States Parties)

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Corr.1 New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention - Corrigendum

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Corr.2 New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention - Corrigendum

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Add.2 New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention - Addendum (submissions from States Parties)

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.3/Add.3 New scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention - Addendum (submissions from States Parties)

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.4 Developments since the last Review Conference in other international organizations which may be relevant to the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.5 Additional understandings and agreements reached by previous Review Conferences relating to each article of the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.6 Common understandings reached by the Meetings of States Parties during the intersessional programme held from 2007 to 2010 - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.7 Status of universalization of the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8 Implementation of Article X of the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8/Corr.1 Implementation of Article X of the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit - Corrigendum

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8/Add.1 Implementation of Article X of the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit - Addendum

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.8/Add.1/Corr.1 Implementation of Article X of the Convention - Background information document submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.9 Statement by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the States members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in connection with the Seventh Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction - Submitted by Belarus on behalf of the States members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.11 List of Participants

BWC/CONF.VII/INF.11/Add.1 List of Participants

BWC/CONF.VII/CRP.1 Elements for the draft final document - Sumitted by the President

BWC/CONF.VII/CRP.2 Draft Final Document of the Seventh Review Conference - Submitted by the President

BWC/CONF.VII/MISC.1 Provisional List of Participants

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.1 Article VII: options for implementation and proposal for intersessional work - Submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.2 Illustrative model intersessional work programme: a proposal for task group structure and agenda items - Submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.3 Proposal for structured and systematic review of science and technology developments under the Convention - Submitted by India

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.4 Strengthening biosafety and security while the convergence of biology and chemistry has increased: building joint responses between the BTWC and CWC regimes against misuse of biological and chemical agents - Submitted by Poland

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.5 Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention - Submitted by Iraq

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.5/Rev.1 Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention - Submitted by Iraq

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.6 Confidence-Building Measures: proposal for modification of Form D - Submitted by Belgium

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.7 Biorisk management standards and their role in BTWC implementation - Submitted by Belgium

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.8 Finnish biothreat preparedness - Submitted by Finland

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.9 Review and update of the Confidence-Building Measures - Submitted by Germany, Norway and Switzerland

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.10 Decision-making in a future BTWC intersessional work programme - Submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.11Proposal for a working group to address compliance issues - Submitted by Australia, Japan and New Zealand

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.12 A proposal for the next intersessional period 2012-2015 - Submitted by Australia and Japan

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.13 Proposal for the annual review of advances in science and technology relevant to the Biological Weapons Convention - Submitted by Australia, Japan and New Zealand

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.14 Confidence building and compliance: two different approaches - Submitted by Germany

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.15 The "Intersessional Bureau": a new element to solidify BWC work in Geneva - Submitted by Germany

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.16 Mechanism for advancing the implementation of Article X - Submitted by South Africa

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.17 Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit: future planning - Submitted by South Africa

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.18 Proposal for the intersessional process - Submitted by South Africa

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.19 Confidence-Building Measures - Submitted by South Africa

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.20 Possible approaches to education and awareness-raising among life scientists - Submitted by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and Switzerland (on behalf of the “JACKSNNZ” ), and Kenya, Pakistan, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.20/Rev.1 Possible approaches to education and awareness-raising among life scientists - Submitted by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and Switzerland (on behalf of the “JACKSNNZ” ), and Kenya, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.21 Working Paper on the Confidence Building Measures - Submitted by Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.22 Working Paper on the role of the ISU - Submitted by Japan

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.23 The next intersessional process - Submitted by the United States of America

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.24 China's views on strengthening the effectiveness of the BWC - Submitted by China

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.25 Strengthening the existing Confidence-Building Measure submission and review process - Submitted by Canada

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.26 The establishment of a mechanism to promote the full effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article X of the Convention - Submitted by Cuba on behalf of the Group of the Non-aligned Movement and other States Parties to the BWC

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.26/Corr.1 The establishment of a mechanism to promote the full effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article X of the Convention - Submitted by Cuba on behalf of the Group of the Non-aligned Movement and other States Parties to the BWC

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.27 Fostering stakeholder accountability - Submitted by France

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.28 A peer review mechanism for the Biological Weapons Convention: enhancing confidence in national implementation and international cooperation - Submitted by France

BWC/CONF.VII/WP.29 The full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article X - Submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/ INF.1 Proposals made to the Committee of the Whole - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/ INF.1/Add.1 Proposals made to the Committee of the Whole - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/ INF.1/Add.2 Proposals made to the Committee of the Whole - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/ INF.1/Add.3 Proposals made to the Committee of the Whole - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/ INF.2 Combined Proposals made to the Committee of the Whole - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/ INF.2/Rev.1 Combined Proposals made to the Committee of the Whole - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/CRP.1 Draft Report of the Committee of the Whole

BWC/CONF.VII/COW/CRP.2 Outline of the Draft Final Declaration of the Seventh Review Conference - Submitted by the Chair of the Committee of the Whole

Advance Copies of Documents and Papers
Schedule of Side Events
General Statements

• Statement by Professor Indira Nath at the Seventh BWC Review Conference
• Esther Ng, Biosecurity - The Role of Young Scientists
• Statement by Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson, Representative of Cuba, on behalf of the Group of the Non-Aligned Movement and Other States Parties to the BWC
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Kairat Umarov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the Seventh BTWC Conference
• Statement by Belarus on behalf of the member-states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
• Statement by Ambassador Pierre Claver Ndayiragije, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi (in French)
• Statement by Mr. Elias Jaime Zimba, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mozambique to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Eric Danon Ambassador, Permanent Representative of France to the Conference on Disarmament (in French)
• Statement by Ambassador Rolf Nikel, Commissioner of the Federal Government for Arms Control and Disarmament, Federal Republic of Germany
• Statement by Ambassador Sujata Mehta, Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament
• UK Statement by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mr. Alistair Burt for the Seventh Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Review Conference
• Statement by the Head of Delegation of Ukraine at the BTWC Seventh Review Conference
• Statement by H.E. Datuk Othman Hashim, Head of Malaysian Delegation at the Seventh Review Conference of the BWC
• Statement by H.E. Ambassador He Yafei, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• Statement of the Turkish Delegation
• Statement by Ambassador Branka Latinovic, MFA, the Republic of Serbia
• Statement by Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament D. Javier Gil Catalina, Spain (in Spanish)
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Gennady Gatilov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
• Statement by Bulgaria
• Statement by Canada, on behalf of JACKSNNZ (Japan, Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand)
• Statement by Ambassador Alexandre Fasel, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament (in French and English)
• Statement by Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa
• Statement by H.E. Ambassador Steffen Kongstad, Head of the Norwegian Delegation
• Statement by Ambassador Juan José, Mexico (in Spanish)
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Mari Amano, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament
• Statement by Ambassador Peter Woolcott, Australia
• Statement by Dell Higgie, Ambassador for Disarmament, New Zealand
• Statement by H.E. Mrs. Maria Ciobanu, Permanent Representative of Romania
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Dian Triansyah Djani, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia
• Statement by the Delegation of Costa Rica (in Spanish)
• Statement by Minister Jesus S. Domingo, Philippines
• Statement by Denmark
• Statement by Mr. Neil Benevides, Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the Conference on Disarmament
• Statement by Peru (in Spanish)
• Statement by Ambassador Idriss Jazaïry, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations Office in Geneva (in French)
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Jüri Seilenthal, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Estonia
• Statement by Argentina (in Spanish)
• Statement by Ambassador Željko Jerkić, Head of Delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Md. Abdul Hannan, Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative
• Statement by Ambassador Haeryong Kwon, Republic of Korea
• Statement by Ambassador Pedro Oyarce, Permanent Representative of Chile (in Spanish)
• Statement by Ambassador Zamir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations
• Statement by H.E. Omar Hilal, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco (in French)
• Statement by the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan
• Statement by Qatar (in Arabic)
• Statement by Madagascar (in French)
• Statement by Iraq (in Arabic)
• Statement by Embassador Luis Gallegos, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations and International Organizations (in Spanish)
• Statement by Kuwait (in Arabic)
• Statement by H.E. Gerard Corr, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations
• Statement by Colombia (in Spanish)
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Uri Rosenthal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Statement by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State of the United States
• Statement by Nigeria
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Mohammed Reza Sajjadi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran
• Statement by Afghanistan
• Statement of the Arab Republic of Egypt
• Statement on behalf of the European Union;
  • Council Decision relating to the position of the European Union for the Seventh Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons and on their destruction
• Statement by the OPCW
• Statement by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
• Statement of the International Committee of the Red Cross
• Statement by North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Statement by the International Criminal Police Organization
• Statement by the United Nations Inter-regional Crime and justice Research Institute
• Statement by the World Health Organization

• 5 December 2011 - Seventh Review Conference of Biological Weapons Convention Opens
• 5 December 2011 - Seventh Review Conference of Biological Weapons Convention Continues General Debate
• 6 December 2011 - Seventh Review Conference of Biological Weapons Convention Start Second Day of its General Debate
• 6 December 2011 - Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference Concludes Second Day of General Debate
• 7 December 2011 - Seventh Review Conference of Biological Weapons Convention Hears From Foreign Minister of the Netherlands and Secretary of State of the United States
• 22 December 2011 - Seventh Review Conference of Biological Weapons Convention Adopts Final Document and Concludes Session