National Implementation Measures (NIM) Programme Director, Dr Sonia Drobysz, presented as a Guest of the Meeting at the third Meetings of Experts (“MX 3”) to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) on Friday 3 September.

The 2020 Meetings of Experts took place from 30 August to 8 September 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, having been postponed for one year due to pandemic restrictions. As part of the BWC intersessional programme agreed on at the 2017 Meeting of States Parties (MSP), the Meeting of Experts considers a series of BWC-related topics and prepares factual reports reflecting its deliberations in preparation for the next MSP.

MX 3 on Friday 3 September was dedicated to “Strengthening National Implementation” under the Chairmanship of Mr. Arman Baissuanov of Kazakhstan. Delegates discussed measures related to Article IV of the BWC, CBM submissions, ways to promote transparency and confidence building under the Convention, the role of international cooperation and assistance under Article X and export control measures under Article III. During the session on Article IV Dr Sonia Drobysz presented VERTIC’s BWC legislative implementation assistance and activities.

VERTIC also contributed to the joint NGO statements expressing the NGO community’s views on the key agenda points of the meetings. The statement on national implementation was delivered during MX 3 by Lela Bekanidze.

VERTIC warmly welcomed expressions of appreciation and support for the work of the NIM Programme from several delegates, including those representing the EU and Japan.