OSCE together with UNODA helps strengthen capacity and preparedness of Central Asian states to respond to deliberate use of biological weapons
A capacity building workshop for Central Asian states entitled “Strengthening National, Sub-Regional and International Capacities to Prepare for and Respond to Deliberate Use of Biological Weapons” in the framework of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was conducted from 26 to 27 June 2019 in Bishkek. The workshop was organized by UNODA’s Implementation Support Unit of the BWC in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan.
The event brought together 45 national delegates representing public health, security and governmental sectors of the four Central Asian states that are parties to the BWC - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan - to explore operationalization of assistance between state parties in the framework of the Convention. Experts from UNODA, the OSCE, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative, as well as Russia and Belarus took part in the workshop.
Opening the workshop, inspector of the Department of Defense, Law Enforcement and Emergency Situations of the Government Office of the Kyrgyz Republic, Amangeldi Bakirov stressed that “addressing the preparedness and response issues to a deliberate use of biological weapons is of particular relevance to the Central Asian region, given the complex security situation and the need to strengthen national capacities and sub-regional co-operation of the Central Asian state parties to BWC.”
Speaking about the OSCE's ongoing support to authorities of Kyrgyzstan in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Ambassador Pierre von Arx, added: “With the assistance of the OSCE, Kyrgyzstan has developed two voluntary National Action Plans on the implementation of the Resolution. The first Action Plan has been successfully implemented, and the second one is currently under implementation.” Von Arx noted that one of the main provisions of the Kyrgyz 1540 National Action Plan is related to the effective and comprehensive implementation of the BWC.
During the active learning session of the workshop participants worked on a set of specific questions relevant to various preparedness elements for deliberate use of biological weapons in four thematic breakout groups: disease outbreak surveillance and epidemiology, education and awareness raising, cross-sectoral co-operation, as well as regional and international collaboration.
During the table-top exercise, the participants were encouraged to reflect upon decision-making mechanisms and procedures as well as conditions and circumstances that would lead to a nationwide emergency and measures that would be taken in such cases.
The workshop was also a platform for discussions, in which participants formulated recommendations that will feed into discussions at the BWC Meeting of Experts on Assistance, Response and Preparedness scheduled for 6 and 7 August 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.