Overview

The 2019 Meeting of States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention was chaired by Ambassador Yann Hwang of France with Ambassador Adrian Vierita of Romania and Ambassador Andreano Erwin of Indonesia as the two Vice-Chairs.

The Meeting of States Parties took place in Room XVII from 3 to 6 December 2019 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The 2018-2020 intersessional programme was intended to discuss, and promote common understanding and effective action on those issues identified for inclusion in the intersessional programme. The work in the intersessional period was guided by the aim of strengthening the implementation of all articles of the Convention in order to better respond to current challenges.

The 2019 Meeting of States Parties considered the factual reports of the Meetings of Experts which took place in July and August 2019, as well as a report from the Chair on universalization activities and the annual report of the Implementation Support Unit. It was also responsible for managing the intersessional programme, including taking necessary measures with respect to budgetary and financial matters by consensus with a view to ensuring the proper implementation of the intersessional programme. The Meeting of States Parties also approved the office-holders for the 2020 BWC meetings and the dates for the BWC meetings to take place in 2020. In addition, the Meeting considered the arrangements for the Ninth BWC Review Conference which is scheduled to take place in 2021.

Livestream on UN Web TV

The proceedings of the 2019 BWC Meeting of States Parties were livestreamed via UN Web TV Please check the UN Web TV homepage for the live video feed and for archived recordings.

Rules of Procedure

All meetings will be subject mutatis mutandis to the rules of procedure of the Eighth Review Conference.

BWC/CONF.VIII/2 - Draft Rules of Procedures adopted at the Eighth Review Conference
(available in all six official UN languages)


Segments

Side events

Monday 2 December

9:00 - 18:00

  • Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: Global Forum on Scientific Advances Important to the BWC, Room XXIII

0900 Registration & Breakfast

0930 Welcome & Introduction
-Gigi GRONVALL, PhD, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, United States of America
-Anja KASPERSEN, Director, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
-H.E. Ambassador Yann HWANG, Permanent Representative of France to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and Chair of the 2019 Meeting of the States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention

0945 Session #1: Gene Drives and Engineered Ecology: What can we expect from these advancing capabilities and what are their implications for the BWC?

Moderator:
- Michael MONTAGUE, PhD, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, United States of America
Panelists:
- Chloe HAWKINGS, PhD, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, United States of America
- Alexander KAGANSKY, PhD, Head, Center for Genomic and Regenerative Medicine of the School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Russia
- Philipp MESSER, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cornell University, United States of America
- Michael SANTOS, PhD, Associate Vice President of Science, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, United States of America

1115 Coffee/Tea Break

1130 Session #2: Advancing Agriculture and Animal Science: What is the current state of capabilities, and what are the impacts on the BWC?

Moderator:
- Gigi GRONVALL, PhD, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, United States of America
Panelists:
- Faisal KHAN, DPhil, Director and Assistant Professor, Institute of Integrative Biosciences, CECOS University, Pakistan
- George OBIERO, PhD, Director, Centre of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Nairobi, Kenya
- Luis Alberto OCHOA CARRERA, MSc, Mexican Biosafety Association (AMEXBIO), Mexico
- Christine UHLENHAUT, PhD, Chargée de Mission for Biological Threat Reduction, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), France

1300 Lunch

1400 Keynote Address: Alessandro MARCELLO, PhD, Group Leader, Molecular Virology Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

1445 Coffee/Tea Break

1500 Session #3: Barriers and Opportunities: What policies for cutting-edge biology could strengthen the BWC?

Moderator:
- Nancy CONNELL, PhD, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, United States of America
Panelists:
- Daniel FEAKES, MA, Chief, BWC Implementation Support Unit, Switzerland
- Jonathan FORMAN, PhD, Science Policy Advisor, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, The Netherlands
- Gigi GRONVALL, PhD, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, United States of America
- Katherine LITTLER, Co-Lead, Global Health Ethics, World Health Organization, Switzerland
- J. Milkah Muthoni MWANGI, MSc, Senior Research Scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kenya

1630 Closing Remarks
- Gigi GRONVALL, PhD, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, United States of America

1645 Closing Reception, Location: Area 26 (adjacent to Room XXVI)

1745 Adjourn

Tuesday 3 December

9:00 - 10:00

  • Germany: “A scientific Review Mechanism for the BTWC: Looking Back, Around and Forward” , Room XXIII

Speakers:

  • University of Hamburg: Conflict Potentials from the Release of Gene Drives, Room XXIV

Speakers:

13:00 – 15:00

  • Germany: A Comprehensive Capstone Exercise and Other Activities to Operationalize the Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological weapons, Room XXIII

Speakers:

  • Ambassador Peter Beerwerth, Permanent Representative of Germany to the Conference on Disarmament
  • Scott Cairns, Project Manager, Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA), UNHQ
  • Maria Hecht, Research Associate, Robert Koch Institute, Germany
  • Jasmina Bevc, Head of mobile laboratory, CBRN Lab, Slovenian Army
  • Dr John R Walker, Head Arms Control and Disarmament Research Unit, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, United Kingdom
  • Yasemin Balci, Senior Legal Officer, VERTIC
  • Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: Event 201: A High-Level Pandemic Policy Exercise,Room XXIV

    Speakers:
  • Tara Kirk Sell, PhD, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
  • Crystal Watson, Dr PH, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
  • Ryan Morhard, World Economic Forum
  • Scott Dowell, Gates Foundation

Wednesday 4 December

9:00 - 10:00

Speakers:

  • Jo Husbands, U.S. National Academies
  • Nancy Connell, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
  • Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security: How Access and Benefit Regimes will Impact UNSGM Investigations, Room XXIII

Speakers:

  • Michelle Rourke, Griffith University, Australia
  • Alexandra Phelan, Georgetown University
  • Rebecca Katz, Georgetown University

13:00 – 15:00

  • NTI Bio: Global Biosecurity Dialogue: Objectives and Progress Toward New, Measurable Actions, Room XXIII

Speakers:

  • Ms. Deborah Rosenblum, Executive Vice President, NTI
  • Mr. Trevor Smith, Senior Program Manager, Biological & Chemical Security, Canada
  • Ms. Hayley Severance, Senior Program Officer, NTI bio
  • Dr. Yenew Kebede, Head of Division, Laboratory Systems, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Dr. Ernesto Gozzer, Associate Professor at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru
  • Ms. Maria Sofia Núncio, APP3 Chair and Head of Laboratory, National Institute of Health, Dr. Ricardo Jorge
  • Dr. Irma Makalinao, Professor and Special Assistant to the Dean, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines
  • Mr. Zibusiso Masuku, Chairperson of the Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa
  • Dr. Keith Hamilton, Senior Charge de Mission, Programmes Department, World Organisation for Animal Health

Thursday 5 December

9:00 - 10:00

  • Ireland, Geneva Disarmament Platform and METO Project,Taking Forward the BW Aspects of the UN Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, Room XXIV

Speakers:

  • Richard Lennane, GDP (moderator)
  • Sharon Dolev, METO Project
  • Emad Kiyaei, METO Project

13:00 – 15:00

  • Russian Federation: "International Exercises for Eastern European and Central Asian Countries on First response to Biological Incidents Employing Biomedical Units (October 2019 Russian Federation, Saratov)", Room XXIV

Speakers:

  • Ms. Yulia Demina - Deputy Head Department of Epidemiological Supervision, Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being
  • Mr. Vasilii Kuklev - leading fellow at the Russian Anti-Plague Research Institute "Microbe", Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being
  • Ms. Biubiusara Toktonalieva – Head of the Trade Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic
  • Mr. Yury Nikolaichik – Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva.
  • UNIDIR: WMD Compliance and Enforcement: Lessons for the BWC , Room XXIII

Speakers:

Friday 6 December

13:00 – 15:00

  • France and Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique: Triggering BTWC Article VII After the Release of a Non-Human Pathogen, Room XXIII

Speakers:

  • NTI / bio: Engaging Diverse Stakeholders and the Next Generation to Address Emerging Biological Risks Associated with Advances in Technology, Room XXIV

Speakers:

  • Ms. Deborah Rosenblum, Executive Vice President, NTI
  • Ms. Hayley Severance, Senior Program Officer, NTI | bio
  • Ms. Katherine Budeski, Program Assistant, NTI | bio
  • Dr. Emmanuel Agogo, Deputy Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (Nigeria CDC)
  • Professor Wilmot James, Visiting Professor, Columbia University
  • Dr. Leonora Nusblat, Biorisk Manager, National Administration of Laboratories and Institutes of Health (ANLIS), Argentina
  • Mr. Jarjieh Fang, MPH Candidate, Milken Institute for Public Health at the George Washington University; Senior Research Analyst, Pharmerit International
  • Ms. Lucky Sunshine L. Go, MD Student, St. Luke's Medical Center College of Medicine, Philippines
  • Ms. Gayatri Sanku, PhD Student, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University-NIH
  • Mr. Peter Babigumira, Pharmacist, Infectious Disease Institute, Uganda
  • Dr. Frances Butcher, Wellcome Trust Research Fellow/DPhil Student in Population Health, University of Oxford, UK
  • Mr. Javier Rodriguez, Head of Environment, Safety & Security Department, National Commission of Atomic Energy, Argentina
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