Belarusian diplomat elected as the Chair of the Meeting of Experts of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons
31.07.2019On July 31 and August 2, 2019, a Meeting of Experts on Review of Developments in the Field of Science and Technology Related to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Biological and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BWC) is held in Geneva. A Belarusian diplomat, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations Office in Geneva Mr. Yury Nikolaichik, was elected for the position of the Chair of the meeting.
The BWC, opened for signature on April 10, 1972, is the central element of the disarmament component of the international biological safety and security system.
The Convention prohibits development, production, stockpiling, acquisition in any other way and the preservation of microbiological or other biological agents or toxins, as well as equipment or means of delivery intended for the use of such agents or toxins, for hostile purposes or in armed conflicts.
Representatives of Member and Observer States to the BWC, as well as representatives of UN bodies, universal and regional international organizations, NGOs and the scientific community take part in the meeting.
Participants will, inter alia, review scientific and technological developments related to the Convention; exchange views on how to identify and evaluate potential benefits and risks associated with new scientific and technological developments. The possibility of developing a voluntary model code of conduct for biological scientists, as well as providing training on bioprotection will be discussed as well. The outcomes of the Meeting of Experts will serve as a basis of the decisions of the annual Meeting of the States Parties to the BWC in December 2019.
The Meeting of Experts on Review of Developments in the Field of Science and Technology Related to the Convention is part of the expert activities on the assessment and implementation of the BWC, which take place in Geneva from July 29 to August 8, 2019.
The election of a representative of Belarus once again confirms the authority of Belarus as an active and consistent supporter of building a safer world.
