The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), which was opened for signature on 10 April 1972 and entered into force on 26 March 1975, was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. With 185 States Parties, the BWC has established an unequivocal norm against biological weapons, while also facilitating assistance, international cooperation and capacity-building on matters such as biological science and technology, as well as preparedness and response to deliberate biological threats.
A regional workshop on 'Universalization and Effective Implementation of the Biological Weapons in Western Africa’, is organized by the BWC Implementation Support Unit in collaboration with United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) to be held from 11 to 13 October 2023 in Lomé, Togo.
The workshop is carried out in the framework of the project ‘Supporting Universalization and Effective Implementation of the BWC in Africa’, funded by the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.
The purpose of the event is to:
- brief participating States on the project and gather their feedback on needs and priorities that could be addressed through the project to enhance BWC implementation at the national and regional levels;
- provide a broad understanding of the BWC and related implementation requirements, including on national implementing legislation, Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) under the BWC as well as roles and responsibilities of National Contact Points (NCPs);
- give participants an opportunity to discuss and exchange views on the aforementioned topics; and
- develop a work plan with each participating state for enhancing the implementation of the BWC or promoting its universalization at the national level.
