The first preparatory meeting in support of the universalisation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) was held in Brussels on 3 April 2006.


Participation

• Eighteen representatives from 15 States not yet party to the BTWC participated:  Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire,  Egypt, Gabon, Israel, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, and Zambia.
• Seven representatives of 5 International and Regional Organisations took part: Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, International Committee of the Red Cross, UN Department for Disarmament Affairs—BWC Secretariat, and the World Health Organization.
• Twenty-one representatives from 17 EU Member States were present: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Malta,  Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as two representatives from Bulgaria, an EU Candidate Member State

Meeting proceedings

    A.    Introductions

• Ambassador Franz Josef Kuglitsch (Austria; Presidency) welcomed the participants and introduced the EU goals with regard to the disarmament and non-proliferation of biological weapons and other means of unconventional warfare.
• Ms Annalisa Giannella, Personal Representative of the High Representative on Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, presented an overview of the different actions in support of disarmament and non-proliferation the EU has undertaken since 2003, and situated the current EU Joint Action in support of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) therein. She also described the different types of activity that would be undertaken under the EU Joint Action. Referring to the Common Position on the BTWC Review Conference adopted in March 2006, she called on non-States Parties to join the convention and to register as observers to the Review Conference.
• Dr Jean Pascal Zanders, Director of the BioWeapons Prevention Project, offered a brief summary of the BTWC and presented the participants with a regional breakdown of the States Parties, Signatory States and Non-Signatory States to the convention. He next explained the threat form deliberate infectious disease, the mid- and long-term consequences a society might suffer from such an event, and highlighted the potential security benefits for Non-States Parties might obtain by joining the BTWC.
• Ms Angela Woodward, Legal Coordinator at the Bioweapons Prevention Project, summarized the obligations States Parties to the BTWC assume in order to translate the prohibitions in the convention into national legislation. She also highlighted that even though most of the participants at the present seminar are not States Parties, they nonetheless already have similar obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Although fulfilment of these obligations is complex, she noted that a major part of the EU Joint Action is designed to assist States that request assistance with their national implementation of the BTWC.

    B.    Discussion
            The following points summarize the principal issues raised by the participants.

• With regard to the organisation of the Joint Action

    Several participants requested further information about the material organisation of the Joint Action (events, regional seminars, etc.). They suggested that some basic information (which was contained in the folders) be sent out in advance so that they have a better understanding of the EU’s objectives and plans.
    Several questions were raised with regard to participation and the cost of participation in the regional universalisation seminars. In response, it was emphasized that the travel expenses for the invited officials from the target countries will be covered through the Joint Action.

• With regard to the substance of the Joint Action

    One representative raised the question whether implementation assistance would be available for states preparing ratification or accession to the BTWC. Ms Giannella replied that such assistance should be considered for non-States parties, but that this would require interpretation of the Joint Action by the EU Members.
    One representative from a Middle Eastern country reflected on the complexities of making any progress in the control of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in the region. He discerned value in developing common regional strategies with regard to combatting emerging and reemerging diseases as a way forward. In a separate intervention he criticized the EU for not finalizing the negotiation of a bilateral agreement (which includes a non-proliferation clause) that would enable his country to develop national capabilities to combat disease and for maintaining double standards on this issue in relation to another Middle Eastern State. For this reason he could not see his country joining the BTWC.
    In private discussions after the seminar, several representatives from sub-Saharan African States learned to their surprise that their country had signed, but never ratified the BTWC. They indicated that they would contact their capital to inquire about the status of the ratification process.
    Equally in a private discussion, the representative of a second Middle Eastern State expressed his belief that the promotion and implementation of regional confidence-building measures in support of the goals of the BTWC is the only realistic way to promote the convention in the region.

• Other issues

    It became apparent during the meeting that the World Health Organization would be prepared to comment on specific issues as a participant to the EU meetings, but would not be prepared to be involved in Joint Action activities as a speaker or in any other formal capacity.
    At least one Francophone country declined to participate because the Brussels meeting was conducted solely in English. In private discussions during the coffee break and after the meeting, several representatives of other Francophone African countries expressed the wish for interpretation.