23-25 October 2024, Shenzhen City, China.
The first Regional Workshop on Implementing the Biological Weapons Convention and Promoting Biosafety and Biosecurity in Southeast Asia was held from 23 to 25 October 2024 in Shenzhen City, China. The Workshop was co-hosted by the People’s Republic of China and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and supported by the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
Participants from 12 countries including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Viet Nam, as well as from international organizations, inter alia, Implementation Support Unit of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC ISU), Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD),United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research(UNIDIR), World Health Organization(WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) participated in the Workshop.
The workshop focused mainly on three topics, i.e. the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention, the strengthening of national biosafety and biosecurity measures and the promotion of regional and international cooperation in this field.
Representatives from participating countries shared national approaches adopted and best practices for implementing the BWC and for strengthening biosafety/security, exchanged views on coordinating and preparing the submission of confident- building measures (CBMs), the national legal framework for biosafety and biosecurity and improving global biosafety/security governance, and explored potential areas and approaches of further practical cooperation. Besides that, the workshop also welcomed ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Strengthening Regional Biosafety and Biosecurity and Global Security Initiative (GSI).
Representatives from international organizations gave presentations on the activities each organization conducts in the field of biosafety and biosecurity in accordance with their respective mandates, in particular related assistance and cooperation programs.
Representatives from participating countries agreed that the world is increasingly vulnerable to the biological threats and biosafety/security process is faced with new developments and challenges, and discussed the way for the international community to take the following actions:
•Advancing the modernization of biosafety/security governance and related capacity, in light of each country’s conditions and by way of promoting exchanges and mutual learning.
•Building political consensus for a collective effort in completely eliminating the threat of biological weapons, effectively countering biosafety/security risks and safeguarding the right to peaceful uses of biotechnologies, so as to ensure that the biotechnologies makes greater contributions for a more inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable world.
•Continuously improving global biosafety/security governance, inter alia, reaffirming the political commitment of upholding the purposes and objectives of the Biological Weapons Convention and strengthening its institutional mechanism at the 50th anniversary of its entry-into-force.
•Supporting the cooperation between regional and international organizations in strengthening regional and global biosafety and biosecurity, and encouraging them, in accordance with their respective mandates, to mobilize and consolidate resources,strengthen coordination of actions and provide more support for regional and international cooperation as needed.
Participating countries have agreed to strengthen regional cooperation and coordination in the field of biosafety and biosecurity through various ways, including holding workshop as such on a regular term, which contributes to our shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), that plays a significant role in maintaining peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region. China will maintain contact with the next chair of ASEAN/Country Coordinator for China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations on this matter.