Division 3.3.3 Project description

While the roster of experts and laboratories nominated by UN Member States is diverse, there remains an under-representation of UN Member States from Africa and from Central and South America^f1.

The integrity and perceived impartiality of the SGM will be bolstered by ensuring a diverse pool of experts and laboratories from which the UNODA can select for training activities and from which the UN Secretary-General can choose during an actual investigation.

In support of this, regional workshops in each of these two regions will be held, with the aim of engaging directly with the relevant expertise in national capitals in order to explain the SGM, its importance in a coordinated international response to an allegation of the use of biological weapons, and the role and importance of a diverse group of experts in the event an SGM investigation is triggered. Data on nominations from countries in these regions will be compiled following the annual ‘note verbale’ from the UNODA to all UN Member States, in order to ascertain whether there has been any measurable impact on nominations. The exact scope and number of participating UN Member States and of participants in the workshops will be decided mainly through consultations between the UNODA and the countries who offer to host the workshops, taking into account factors such as location of the workshop, budget and relevant capacity in the countries. The Council shall be informed by the UNODA on the process of selecting host countries, and the UNODA will seek guidance and endorsement from the Council in this regard.