Biological Risk Management and United Nations Security Council - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Biological Risk Management and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540:

Implementation and Technical Assistance in Central America and the Caribbean

Dana Perkins, PhD 1540 Committee Expert

Unless otherwise specified, the opinions presented here are those of the presenter and may not necessarily reflect the views of the 1540 Committee, its Group of Experts, or the UN Security Council

Regional Workshop on National Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention for Central America and the Caribbean, 13-14 November 2013, Mexico City, Mexico

Resolution 1540 (2004): Binding Obligations on All States

Security Council Meets on Non-Proliferation of WMDs UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe, 28 April 2004

Resolution 1540 (2004) imposes binding obligations on all States to adopt legislation to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and their means of delivery, and establish appropriate domestic controls over related materials to prevent their illicit trafficking. The Security Council decided “to establish…a Committee of the Security Council, consisting of all members of the Council, which will, calling as appropriate on

• ther expertise, report to the Security Council for its examination, on the implementation
• f this resolution… and calls upon States to…report… to the Committee on steps they

have taken or intend to take to implement this resolution”.

Resolution 1540 (2004) at a glance: 113 specific prohibitions, 152 controlled activities, at least 8 recommended activities (unofficial count)

Related materials: materials, equipment and technology covered by relevant multilateral treaties and arrangements,

• r included on national control lists,

which could be used for the design, development, production or use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery

Measures to account for / secure / Physically protect means of delivery

Biosecurity Biosafety Biological Risk Management

Regulations for physical protection

• f facilities /

materials / transports Regulations for genetic engineering work

Biosecurity

1540 matrix fields

Resolution 1540 (2004): Status of implementation

The comprehensive review of 2009 acknowledged the significant number

• f measures that States have taken to

implement obligations under resolution 1540 (2004), but identified some areas in which States have adopted fewer measures, such as biological weapons, means of delivery, national control lists, access to related materials and financing of prohibited or illicit proliferation activities -- S/2011/579

* 2010 data

Codes of conduct Building a security culture and responsible conduct of science

Societal vigilance

Education, training & awareness raising

Complementary actions including public-private partnerships and non-governmental stakeholders may be needed to address the whole spectrum of risk

Resolution 1540 (2004): How to Request or Offer Assistance

• Assistance requests should be formally

submitted by States to the 1540 Committee, e.g. by using the Template on Assistance

• States and International, Regional and

Subregional Organisations are urged to inform the Committee about areas in which they are able to provide assistance and also provide point of contact information

Secretariat of the 1540 Committee Attention: Chairman, 1540 Committee H.E. Ambassador Oh Joon, Permanent Representative of The Republic of Korea to the United Nations 730 Third Avenue, TB-08040E, United Nations, New York, NY 10017 Fax: +1 (212) 963-1300 Email: sc-1540-Committee@un.org

http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/assistance/assistance-template.shtml http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/assistance/assistance-template.shtml

Overview of Requests for Assistance

• As of 11 November 2013, 54 States and

two Regional / Subregional Organisations have requested assistance

• Sources of requests: National reports,

National Implementation Action Plans, Notes Verbale, use of the template for assistance

• Overall range: securing materials,

general assistance needs with regard to WMD non-proliferation legislative framework, awareness raising or training needs in border and export controls, etc.

• 16 States specifically requested

assistance in the bio area (Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Bahamas, Barbados, Colombia, DR Congo, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Iraq, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Philippines, and Uganda)

Requests for Assistance - - Illustrative Examples - -

“The Government of Barbados foresees that assistance may be needed in some areas. The general areas identified include: (a) Drafting of legislation; (b) Mechanisms for accounting for and securing nuclear, chemical and biological material in use, storage or transport; (c) Appropriate physical protection measures; (d) Strengthening of controls on all borders regarding imports, exports and re-exports; (e) Training of security forces in handling nuclear, chemical and biological material or in performing duties in the vicinity

• f such potentially hazardous substances.”

“[Grenada] … The issue of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons has always been an area of concern

• f the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) and

in the particular the Fire Department. This is so because the organization possesses limited capabilities to identify, respond and adequately resolve incidents that may occur as a result of CBRN concerns…

• Suspected anthrax discovery at the

Ministerial Complex in 2003.

• Chlorine gas release in a residential

community …in 2010.” “The Government of The Bahamas requires technical assistance in the training of police, defence force, customs, immigration, and airport authority security officers in detecting and investigating offences, which would be related to the proliferation and trafficking in weapons of mass destruction; and maintaining effective measures to account for, secure and maintain appropriate effective physical protection measures for nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, their means

• f delivery and related materials…”

“…[Mexico requests] assistance in implementing prohibition and export control obligations pursuant to the Biological Weapons Convention… …welcomes proposals to establish both effective international cooperation mechanisms for investigating suspicious outbreaks of diseases and procedures for addressing concerns relating to compliance with the [Biological Weapons] Convention, as well as, inter alia, proposals to train personnel to work as part of international rapid response teams in the event of biological emergencies”.

Successful matchmaking: USA offered assistance Successful matchmaking: USA offered assistance

Excerpts from the national report submitted by Jamaica to the 1540 Committee

Overview of Offers for Assistance

• As of 11 November 2013, 49 States have
• ffered assistance
• The 1540 website also posts information
• n Assistance Programmes and Offers

from International, Regional and Subregional Organizations and Other Arrangements

• Some States have both requested and
• ffered assistance
• Assistance is offered on a bilateral basis

and/or through international organizations

• Overall range: cooperation programs,

specific measures, case-by-case basis etc.

Offers of Assistance - - Illustrative Examples - -

“…Canada could provide the following types of assistance to fight CBRN terrorism…: legislative drafting and legal policy assistance related to the ratification and implementation of non-proliferation and arms control-related conventions (e.g. the CWC and the BTWC); health security initiatives with bio- terrorism applications such as the establishment of disease surveillance systems; export controls training; training in bio-safety/security standards; detection and decontamination of chemical, biological and radiological terror agents; food safety, animal and plant health initiatives…” “The United States has strong outreach programs that provide information and assistance to states on joining and implementing the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). The United States also provides assistance, upon request, to existing BWC States Parties on issues relating to the completion of implementation requirements, and strengthening biosafety and pathogen security legislation and policies”. “Cuba, through the CITMA National Biosafety Centre, is prepared to contribute to exchanges

• f experience in the implementation of the

Biological Weapons Convention by means of courses, seminars, workshops and other activities, basically in the Latin American and Caribbean region”. “[Mexico] Centre for Investigation and National Security (CISEN) has indicated that it is in a position to provide assistance, in terms of first response to chemical, biological and radioactive weapons incidents, in the following areas: best practices in epidemiological monitoring and surveillance in relation to incidents involving biological agents, detection of atypical cases and health-sector response to bioterrorism incidents, as well as coordination with public safety and judicial authorities…”

• Due to their specialized expertise and regional awareness, relevant international, regional and

subregional organizations have a crucial role in supporting the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and assisting Member States, within their mandates

• Currently, the following International, Regional and Subregional Organizations and Other

Arrangements have provided the 1540 Committee with a point of contact for assistance:

• BWC ISU nominated by the BWC Chair as point of contact for BWC issues
• Despite the similar matchmaking roles on assistance of the BWC ISU and the 1540 Committee,

currently there is no synergy between the 1540 Committee database and the Article X database established pursuant to the BWC Seventh Review Conference Cooperation with International, Regional and Subregional Organizations and Other Arrangements

http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/assistance/offers-of-assistance/assistance-programmes.shtml

Sharing of “experience, lessons learned and effective practices“

“[Security Council] urges States and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations to inform the Committee as appropriate of areas in which they are able to provide assistance; and calls upon States and such organizations, if they have not done so previously, to provide the 1540 Committee with a point of contact for assistance…

[and]

urges the 1540 Committee to continue to engage actively with States and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations to promote the sharing of experience, lessons learned and effective practices, in the areas covered by resolution 1540 (2004), drawing in particular on information provided by States as well as examples of successful assistance, and to liaise on the availability of programmes which might facilitate the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), while bearing in mind that customized assistance is useful for the effective implementation

• f resolution 1540 (2004) at national levels” – Security Council Resolution 1977 (2011)

Other Opportunities for Match-Making

• The Group of experts participates in the GPWG meetings
• The G8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and

Materials of Mass Destruction (G8 GP) is addressing BW nonproliferation, disarmament, and counterterrorism through cooperative projects in areas such as scientist engagement, biosafety/biosecurity, export controls, combating illicit trafficking, and supporting the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004)

• The Biological Security WG was established in 2012
• The 2012 “Biological Security Deliverables” of the GPWG/BSWG:

– Secure & account for materials that represent bio proliferation risks – Develop and maintain appropriate & effective measures to prevent, prepare for, & respond to the deliberate misuse of biological agents – Strengthen national and global networks to rapidly identify, confirm and respond to biological attacks – Reduce proliferation risks through the advancement and promotion

• f safe and responsible conduct in the biological sciences

– Reinforce and strengthen biological nonproliferation principles, practices and instruments

• Assistance includes promoting the universalization and full

implementation of existing non-proliferation obligations, such as under the Biological Weapons Convention, the 1925 Geneva Protocol and resolution 1540…

With the objective of facilitating technical assistance for the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) by matching offers and requests for assistance, the Committee and its experts continued and intensified the dialogue with the Working Group

• f the G-8 Global

Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (GPWG) on the consolidated list of assistance requests… -

• S/AC.44/2012/OC.48

Dana Perkins, PhD

1540 Committee Expert United Nations 300 East 42nd St., Suite IN-03074H New York, NY 10017 Tel: +1 (917) 367 6023 (office) E-mail: PerkinsD@un.org

Contact information

Collective e-mail: 1540experts@un.org Website: http://www.un.org/sc/1540