Regional Workshop for Eastern Europe and Central Asia “Implications of developments in science and technology for the Biological Weapons Convention”

22 Sep 2017 - 23 Sep 2017

A regional workshop for the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia "Implications of developments in science and technology for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)", was held in Kyiv from 21 to 22 September 2017. The event took place in the context of the implementation of EU Council Decision 2016/51 in support of the BWC within the framework of the EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The main organizers of the event were the Ukrainian Biochemical Society and the Geneva Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, with financial support of the EU and the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Representatives from nine countries of the region, as well as from the EU, the OSCE, the US National Academy of Sciences, Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) and a number of leading scientific and academic institutions participated in the workshop.
The key objectives of the workshops included:
• Increased awareness of the BWC among stakeholder communities;
• Increased involvement of the scientific community and national & regional scientific, professional, and industrial associations in BWC implementation;
• Increased interaction between stakeholder communities, regulatory agencies and policymakers at national and regional levels and their enhanced input into reviews of S&T developments relevant to the BWC; and
• Promotion of linkages with other multilateral and regional initiatives in the area of S&T.
During the workshop, the ISTC Executive Director, Mr. David Cleave, presented a report entitled “Regional cooperation and capacity building related to S&T for peaceful purposes”. Furthermore, Dr. Vlada Pashynska, STCU Senior Specialist, participated in a panel session entitled, “Engaging with life scientists, biotech-industry and trade agencies”. During that session, Dr. Pashynska shared the STCU’s experience in engaging life scientists, especially in the area of redirecting dual-use science and technologies to peaceful projects.