BWC: Final report of the tabletop exercise on article VII (8-9 November 2016) [fr]
Consistent with France’s commitment to the fight against the proliferation of biological weapons, the French mission organized, jointly with the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS) and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), a tabletop exercise which was held on 8-9 November in Geneva.
This exercise aimed at highlighting the challenges and opportunities linked to the implementation of article VII of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which contains provisions on the assistance provided in case a State has been exposed to danger as a result of violation of the Convention.
25 participants from 14 countries and civil society organizations participated in this tabletop exercise, which underlined the need to discuss further the implications of the implementation of article VII and the mechanisms that would steer the international community’s response in the framework of the BTWC.
The final report summarizes the assessment conducted during the tabletop exercise of existing procedures and possible improvements that could be made to the decision-making process, should a State activate Article VII of the BTCW. It also explores new avenues regarding the organization of international assistance.
