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Meeting of the States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention General debate
by Ambassador KIM Young-moo
Head of Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament
14 December 2015, Geneva _ <Check against Delivery>
Mr. Chair,
At the outset, let me congratulate you Mr. Chair, on your assumption of the chairmanship for the 2015 meetings of the Biological Weapons Convention. I assure you of the full support of my delegation.
Mr. Chair,
This year’s Meeting of States Parties is important for two reasons. First, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the entry into force of this landmark disarmament treaty. Second, we are concluding the inter-sessional process established since the 7th Review Conference in 2011. Under your able leadership, we have had far-reaching and constructive exchange of views on the standing and biennial agenda items in the Meeting of Experts this year. It is our sincere hope that we could build upon our achievement thus far, and find common ground to further develop in the run up to the 8th Review Conference next year.
In this regard, we welcome the synthesis paper reflecting the issues discussed and common understandings reached at the Meeting of Experts. We also appreciate the “Chair’s non-paper on the possible elements for the report of the Meeting of States Parties” put forward in an effort to conduct our work in a transparent and participatory manner. We hope that such an approach could help in building consensus on the final report of the 2015 Meeting of States Parties.
Mr. Chair,
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The Republic of Korea aligns itself with the Joint Statement of the JACKSNNZ group, which was delivered by Canada / (will be delivered by Canada later in this session). In our national capacity, I would like to draw your attention to an additional few points of particular interest to my country.
First, the Republic of Korea attaches great importance to effective national implementation. It is crucial that, through enhanced transparency and cooperation, all states parties have confidence in one another to faithfully implement their obligations.
This is why we joined the working paper on BWC implementation prepared by Australia and Malaysia once again this year. Having reassurance that all BWC provisions are implemented faithfully by all States Parties is indeed as important as putting in place proper legislation at the national level.
Second, possible measures for strengthening national bio risk management also need to be further strengthened. We note that biological science and technology is advancing rapidly and that the dual-use nature of biotechnology presents potential risks. Even non-state actors can easily access technologies that could project harm. In light of the new trend, we are of the view that the BWC needs to be reinforced to adequately address the new challenges while appreciating the benefits of biotechnology for peaceful purposes.
Korea has enacted robust laws and regulations on biosafety and biosecurity. We also encourage scientific communities to develop and promulgate a code of conduct and guidelines to counter the misuse of the life sciences. In this regard, I would like to underscore that the Republic of Korea is willing to share our experience and best practices in the field of building biosafety and biosecurity capabilities.
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Third, we see the topic of assistance and coordination in the event of an alleged use of biological or toxic weapons as an issue of great importance. Since it is not always immediately clear whether an attack is deliberate or not, the national and international capacities for disease surveillance, detection and diagnosis are crucial in determining how to respond. We thus need to focus our attention on a coordinated government approach as well as greater regional and international cooperation to strengthen these relevant capacities.
In this context, the Republic of Korea is actively participating in the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) as one of the steering group members for the multi-sectorial rapid response action package. It is our belief that ensuring such practice of experience-sharing will facilitate cooperation and assistance for capacity-building.
Mr. Chair,
Last but not least, the Republic of Korea supports thorough preparation for the 8th Review Conference next year. I would like to reiterate our support to the Chair’s suggestion on the arrangement for the Review conference and
preparatory committees, which will be discussed in further detail tomorrow.
The Republic of Korea is fully committed to strengthening the Convention and remains ready to work together to develop practical proposals for the 2016 Review Conference.
I thank you, Mr. Chair. /END/
