Regional security and the Chemical Weapons Convention: Insights for the Middle East (Part 2)
In November 2019, the first annual meeting exploring the possibility of creating a zone exempt of non-conventional weaponry in the Middle East took place. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the second meeting in 2020. Conditions permitting, the session is now scheduled for this autumn. Meanwhile, the conference has organised two informal workshops, the second one of which was held virtually on 23-25 February. Entitled ‘Good Practices and Lessons Learned with respect to the implementation of Treaties establishing Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones’, the workshop’s third session looked at the core obligations governing chemical and biological weapons (CBW). It aimed to glean …
Regional security and the Chemical Weapons Convention: Insights for the Middle East (Part 1)
In November 2019, the first annual meeting exploring the possibility of creating a zone exempt of non-conventional weaponry in the Middle East took place. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the second meeting in 2020. Conditions permitting, the session is now scheduled for this autumn. Meanwhile, the conference has organised two informal workshops, the second one of which was held virtually on 23-25 February. Entitled ‘Good Practices and Lessons Learned with respect to the implementation of Treaties establishing Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones’, the workshop’s third session looked at the core obligations governing chemical and biological weapons (CBW). It aimed to glean …
Education on CBRN-relevant dual-use technology transfers in Moldova
The Science and Technology Centre in Ukraine (STCU) just published a summary of the short virtual course on CBRN-relevant dual-use technology transfers I taught in Moldova on 2 – 5 February. The course was another step in the project to design, develop and teach a full master’s course on export controls and technology governance for the GUAM countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova). As I described in a previous blog post, the educational initiative forms part of a larger Targeted Initiative funded by the European Commission that is implemented through the STCU and International Science and technology Centre (ISTC) in …
COVID-19 pushes BTWC Review Conference into 2022
As noted in the blog posting of 29 November, COVID-19 has seriously interfered with the meeting agendas for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). A new schedule is emerging for the BTWC while it appears possible that the second part of last year’s CWC Conference of States Parties may take place later than April. BTWC meetings for 2021 The Chairperson of the 2020 Meeting of States Parties (MSP), Ambassador Cleopa Mailu of Kenya, has notified delegations that the Meetings of Experts (MX) will now be held one year after the originally planned dates, …
The poison in beauty
Have a look at the two pictures below and try to express what you see in a few sentences. Well, the photographs are not particularly stunning or well-framed. An agricultural landscape, flat mostly with a backdrop of low hills. Not even a spectacular day, with grey clouds in the sky and signs of recent rainfall moistening the soil. Autumn, by the colour of the corn plants in one image. Carrots almost ready for harvesting in the other. In sum, absolutely unremarkable. I took the pictures on 9 October 1993 with no other ambition than to record a few facts. Striking …
All the best wishes for a brilliant 2021!
Be resilient, Have patience, Design and execute projects, Get vaccinated And your 2021 will be brilliant! Wear the mask, Keep the social distance, Forego unnecessary travel, Act responsibly And 2021 will be brilliant for other people too! …
COVID-19 interferes with CWC and BTWC meeting schedules
COVID-19 is messing up the diplomatic disarmament and arms control agendas. On 27 March Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen from Argentina announced as President-Designate the postponement of the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Initially scheduled for 27 April – 22 May 2020, it was to take place by April 2021. The deadline was moved up to August. However, because of the United Nation’s original schedule of meetings for 2021 combined with the many rescheduled meetings of this year, the only possible opening in the agenda was an impractical slot from 4 to 29 January. The pandemic’s resurgence in …
Webinar / Séminaire en ligne : Les armes chimiques et biologique : Une menace actuelle ?
It is webinar season! Les Interviews d’IDN La menace des armes chimiques et biologiques Jeudi 26 novembre à 18h30, IDN recevra Jean-Pascal Zanders, Chercheur et expert sur les armes chimiques et biologiques Sur le thème “Les armes chimiques et biologiques : Une menace actuelle ?” S’inscrire: https://cutt.ly/chigVcH 0 Links …
Implementing BTWC Article VII: Some thoughts for the Meeting of Experts and the Review Conference
[Text of a pre-recorded video ahead of an international webinar on 12 November providing an opportunity for informal discussions on topics to be considered by the Meeting of Experts on Assistance, Response and Preparedness (MX4).] Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues, I am Dr Jean Pascal Zanders from Belgium and an independent disarmament researcher and consultant at The Trench. My focus is on the elimination and prevention of re-emergence of chemical and biological weapons. I have been regularly following meetings of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) since the Fourth Review Conference in 1996. I am honoured to introduce the …
Have you already registered for the CW threat webinar? (10 days to go)
The Resurgent Chemical Weapons Threat: Current Challenges to the Chemical Weapon Convention Assassination attempts with novichok The race for new incapacitating chemical agents CW disarmament in Syria and investigations of alleged CW use More than 190 people have already registered. They come from many countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and the USA. They work for government agencies, international organisations, private companies and contractors, think tanks, and universities. If you still wish to join the webinar: register at https://bit.ly/34vDJRQ —– The chemical weapons nonproliferation regime is at a crossroads. Chemical weapons have …