2018 BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION MEETINGS OF EXPERTS CONCLUDE
Press Release
There was also a full schedule of side events organized by States, organizations and professional bodies. Participants in the side events included senior national officials, and experts from States, organizations and academia. A poster session took place on 9 August 2018.
The reports of the five Meetings of Experts will be considered at the Meeting of States Parties, which will be held in Geneva from 4 to 7 December 2018.
The Meetings attracted the participation of representatives from around 100 States, as well as key intergovernmental organizations engaged on relevant issues, scientific and professional associations, academic institutions, think tanks, other non-governmental entities and individual experts.
Formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, the Convention was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of weapons. It was opened for signature in 1972 and entered into force in 1975. It currently has 181 States Parties, and six States that have signed but not yet ratified it.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Daniel Feakes
Chief, BWC Implementation Support Unit
Tel +41 (0)22 917 22 30
Fax +41 (0)22 917 04 83
Or:
E-mail: bwc@un.org
Visit our website: www.unog.ch/bwc
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/1972BWC
Follow us on Twitter: @BWCISU #1972BWC
For use of the information media; not an official record
DC/18/037E
States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) have concluded the 2018 Meetings of Experts held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 7 to 16 August 2018.
This was the first set of such meetings in the new 2018-2020 intersessional process, that was agreed by the BWC Meeting of States Parties in December 2017.
In accordance with the intersessional programme from 2018 to 2020, this years’ Meetings of Experts were open-ended and considered the following topics:
- MX1 - Cooperation and Assistance, with a Particular Focus on Strengthening Cooperation and Assistance under Article X (7-8 August 2018), chaired by Ambassador Maria Teresa Almojuela of the Philippines
- MX2 - Review of Developments in the Field of Science and Technology Related to the Convention (9-10 August 2018), chaired by Mr. Pedro Luiz Dalcero of Brazil
- MX3 - Strengthening National Implementation (13 August 2018), chaired by Ambassador Julio Herráiz España of Spain
- MX4 - Assistance, Response and Preparedness (14-15 August 2018), chaired by Mr. Daniel Nord of Sweden
- MX5 - Institutional Strengthening of the Convention (16 August 2018), chaired by Mr. Otakar Gorgol of the Czech Republic
There was also a full schedule of side events organized by States, organizations and professional bodies. Participants in the side events included senior national officials, and experts from States, organizations and academia. A poster session took place on 9 August 2018.
The reports of the five Meetings of Experts will be considered at the Meeting of States Parties, which will be held in Geneva from 4 to 7 December 2018.
The Meetings attracted the participation of representatives from around 100 States, as well as key intergovernmental organizations engaged on relevant issues, scientific and professional associations, academic institutions, think tanks, other non-governmental entities and individual experts.
Formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, the Convention was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of weapons. It was opened for signature in 1972 and entered into force in 1975. It currently has 181 States Parties, and six States that have signed but not yet ratified it.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Daniel Feakes
Chief, BWC Implementation Support Unit
Tel +41 (0)22 917 22 30
Fax +41 (0)22 917 04 83
Or:
E-mail: bwc@un.org
Visit our website: www.unog.ch/bwc
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/1972BWC
Follow us on Twitter: @BWCISU #1972BWC
For use of the information media; not an official record
DC/18/037E