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 Regional Workshop on National Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention for Central America and the Caribbean, 13-14 November 2013, Mexico City, Mexico 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
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 other expertise, report to the Security Council for its examination, on the implementation of 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, or 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 Security Council Meets on Non-Proliferation of WMDs UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe, 28 April 2004 Resolution 1540 (2004): Binding Obligations on All States
Measures to Biosecurity account for / secure / Physically Regulations protect for genetic means of engineering work delivery Biosecurity Biosafety Regulations for physical protection of facilities / materials / transports 1540 matrix fields Biological Risk Management
* 2010 data The comprehensive review of 2009 acknowledged the significant number of 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 Resolution 1540 (2004): Status of implementation
Education, training & awareness raising Societal vigilance Building a security culture and responsible conduct of science Codes of conduct Complementary actions including public-private partnerships and non-governmental stakeholders may be needed to address the whole spectrum of risk
• 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 http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/assistance/assistance-template.shtml http://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/assistance/assistance-template.shtml Fax: +1 (212) 963-1300 Email: sc-1540-Committee@un.org Resolution 1540 (2004): How to Request or Offer 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) Overview of Requests for Assistance
“The Government of The Bahamas requires “The Government of Barbados foresees that assistance may technical assistance in the training of police, be needed in some areas. The general areas identified defence force, customs, immigration, and include: airport authority security officers in detecting (a) Drafting of legislation; and investigating offences, which would be (b) Mechanisms for accounting for and securing nuclear, related to the proliferation and trafficking in chemical and biological material in use, storage or transport; weapons of mass destruction; and (c) Appropriate physical protection measures; maintaining effective measures to account for, (d) Strengthening of controls on all borders regarding secure and maintain appropriate effective imports, exports and re-exports; physical protection measures for nuclear, (e) Training of security forces in handling nuclear, chemical chemical, or biological weapons, their means and biological material or in performing duties in the vicinity of delivery and related materials…” of such potentially hazardous substances.” “[Grenada] … The issue of Chemical, “…[Mexico requests] assistance in implementing Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) prohibition and export control obligations pursuant to the weapons has always been an area of concern Biological Weapons Convention… of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) and in the particular the Fire Department. This is so …welcomes proposals to establish both effective because the organization possesses limited international cooperation mechanisms for investigating capabilities to identify, respond and suspicious outbreaks of diseases and procedures for adequately resolve incidents that may occur as addressing concerns relating to compliance with the a result of CBRN concerns… [Biological Weapons] Convention, as well as, inter alia, • Suspected anthrax discovery at the proposals to train personnel to work as part of Ministerial Complex in 2003. international rapid response teams in the event of • Chlorine gas release in a residential biological emergencies”. community …in 2010.” Requests for Assistance - - Illustrative Examples - -
Successful matchmaking: Successful matchmaking: USA offered assistance USA offered assistance
Excerpts from the national report submitted by Jamaica to the 1540 Committee
• As of 11 November 2013, 49 States have offered assistance • The 1540 website also posts information on Assistance Programmes and Offers from International, Regional and Subregional Organizations and Other Arrangements Some States have both requested and • offered assistance • Assistance is offered on a bilateral basis and/or through international organizations Overall range: cooperation programs, • specific measures, case-by-case basis etc. Overview of Offers for Assistance
“The United States has strong outreach programs “…Canada could provide the following types of that provide information and assistance to states on assistance to fight CBRN terrorism…: legislative joining and implementing the Biological Weapons drafting and legal policy assistance related to the Convention (BWC). The United States also provides ratification and implementation of non-proliferation assistance, upon request, to existing BWC States and arms control-related conventions (e.g. the CWC Parties on issues relating to the completion of and the BTWC); health security initiatives with bio- implementation requirements, and strengthening terrorism applications such as the establishment of biosafety and pathogen security legislation and disease surveillance systems; export controls policies”. training; training in bio-safety/security standards; detection and decontamination of chemical, biological and radiological terror agents; food safety, animal and plant health initiatives…” “[Mexico] Centre for Investigation and National Security (CISEN) has indicated that it is in a position to provide assistance, in terms of first “Cuba, through the CITMA National Biosafety response to chemical, biological and radioactive Centre, is prepared to contribute to exchanges weapons incidents, in the following areas: best of experience in the implementation of the practices in epidemiological monitoring and Biological Weapons Convention by means of surveillance in relation to incidents involving courses, seminars, workshops and other biological agents, detection of atypical cases and activities, basically in the Latin American and health-sector response to bioterrorism incidents, Caribbean region”. as well as coordination with public safety and judicial authorities…” Offers of Assistance - - Illustrative Examples - -
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