Overview

The 2023 Meeting of States Parties will take place in Room XVIII at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland from 11-13 December 2023.

The Meeting of States Parties will be chaired by H.E. Ambassador Cristian Espinosa Cañizares of Ecuador with H.E. Ambassador Thomas Göbel of Germany and Mr. Nikola Yakov of Bulgaria as Vice-Chairs.

Documents

Arrangements for the 2023 meeting of states parties to the Biological Weapons Convention

Arrangements for the Third Session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention and the 2023 Meeting of States Parties (EN ES FR)

Aide Memoire (EN ES FR)

BWC/MSP/2023/1 - Provisional agenda for the 2023 Meeting of States Parties - Submitted by the Chairperson

BWC/MSP/2023/2 - Provisional programme of work - Submitted by the Chairperson

BWC/MSP/2023/3 - Report on universalization activities - Submitted by the Chairperson

BWC/MSP/2023/4 - Annual report of the Implementation Support Unit - Submitted by the Implementation Support Unit

BWC/MSP/2023/5 - Report on the Overall Financial Situation of the Biological Weapons Convention - Submitted by the Chairperson

Working Papers

BWC/MSP/2023/WP.1/REV.1 - Note Verbale submitted by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva dated 9 June 2023

BWC/MSP/2023/WP.2 - Fourth International Conference "Global Biosecurity Challenges. Problems and Solutions" (Sochi, 22–23 June 2023) - Submitted by Russian Federation

BWC/MSP/2023/WP.3 - Military biological activities of the United States and Ukraine on the Ukrainian territory in violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction - Submitted by Russian Federation

BWC/MSP/2023/WP.4 - El bloqueo económico, comercial y financiero de los Estados Unidos contra Cuba como violación del Artículo X de la Convención sobre Armas Biológicas - Submitted by Cuba

BWC/MSP/2023/WP.5 - Reducing Biological Risks by Promoting the Peaceful Use of Biology: Update on activities - Submitted by Norway

Side Events

11
December2023
BWC and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East (WMDFZME) Organizer: The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) in collaboration with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)

Description: The expert meeting will discuss and further develop the latest METO report on the BWC and the WMDFZME (also attached). The report incorporates expert commentaries without attribution, along with accompanying policy recommendations.

Additional Information: Light lunch and refreshments will be provided. Due to limited space, please RSVP by sending an email to: emad@wmd-free.me
13:00-14:30GCSP building
(Chem. Eugène-Rigot 2D, 1211 Genève)
12
December2023
Recent and forth-coming international events on biological security organised by the Russian FederationOrganizer: Russian Federation

Description: Presentation by the expert of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor) of international events in the sphere of biological security and epidemiology of current infectious diseases, held by the Russian Federation in 2023 (incl. the Fourth Sochi Conference, the Astrakhan exercises) and also planned for the near future

Speakers: Head of the Russian delegation to the BTWC Meeting of States Parties Mr. Konstantin VORONTSOV, Member of the Russian delegation Mr. Viacheslav SMOLENSKIY, experts of Rospotrebnadzor Mr. Aleksandr LETIUSHEV and Ms. Anna TSEDILINA, Expert of the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute "Microbe" of Rospotrebnadzor Mr. Vasiliy KUKLEV

Additional Information: Sandwiches and refreshments will be provided
09:00-10:00Room XXV
12
December2023
Peer review exercise on biosafety and biosecurity in line with Resolution 1540Organizer: Mexico
13:00-15:00Room XXIV
12
December2023
Reducing Biological Risks by Promoting the Peaceful Use of Biology Under Article X of the BWCOrganizer: Norway and ICGEB
13:00-15:00Room XXV
13
December 2023
From the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines to an International Biosecurity Education Network (IBSEN)Organizer: CBRS/Tianjin University and BSRC/London Metropolitan University
09:00-10:00Room XXII
13
December2023
Presentation of the offers by the Russian Federation for cooperation and assistance included in the Database under Article X of the BTWCOrganizer: Russian Federation

Description: Presentation by experts of the Russian governmental agencies and subsidiary organizations of three offers included in the Database under Article X of the BTWC:
- Course on the issues of contamination and autopsy of laboratory animals, emergency response when working with pathogenic biological agents, as well as specific questions on epidemiology, microbiology and laboratory diagnosis of especially dangerous infections offered by the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute "Microbe" of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor);
- Course on vaccine prevention as a method of countering biological threats offered by the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University);
- Advanced training course of the Federal Institution "Federal Centre for Animal Health" (FGBI ‘ARRIAH') of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) focused on topical issues of preventing and controlling transboundary animal diseases, including emerging diseases and zoonotic agents that pose a threat to animal and human health.

Speakers: Head of the Russian delegation to the BTWC Meeting of States Parties Mr. Konstantin VORONTSOV, Expert of the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute "Microbe" of Rospotrebnadzor Mr. Vasiliy KUKLEV, Experts of Sechenov University Mr. Andrey LINOK and Ms. Aristitsa KOSTINOVA, Expert of Rosselkhoznadzor Ms. Daria ANDRIANOVA

Additional information: Sandwiches and refreshments will be provided
13:00-15:00Room XXIV
13
December2023
The UK Biosecurity StrategyOrganizer: UK
13:00-15:00Room XXV
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