17 November 2016 — The Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Southeast Asia, hosted by the Philippines, was lauded as the most active among the 21 Regional Secretariats in six sub-regions. This was the assessment of experts who reviewed how countries were implementing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BTWC) at the national and regional levels through the CBRN CoEs.

The Philippines has been hosting the Center since 2013, with the support of the European Union and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

The CBRN CoE in the Philippines fosters cooperation and coordination within South-East Asia by helping countries to identify CBRN risk mitigation needs, develop National CBRN Action Plans, and implement regional project proposals.

This role was acknowledged by ASEAN delegations in a joint statement at the General Debate of the Eighth Review Conference of the States Parties to the BTWC held last week in Geneva.

At a side event on November 11 on the margins of the BTWC Review Conference, the Philippines’ National Focal Point Col. Jose S. Embang Jr. emphasized that “the country’s priorities in implementing the National CBRN Action Plan, are strengthening the national implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), establishing a list of biological materials of concern (BMC), and enhancing the protection and monitoring of sensitive BMC, and strengthening the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).”

Dr. Irma Makalinao, CBRN National team member and senior faculty of the University of the Philippines-Manila, discussed the broad consultations process to draft a Philippine National Action Plan (NAP).

 “A country’s National Action Plan is a living document, which provides a strategic framework for CBRN related capacity building activities especially for country driven donor assistance,” she said.

She also cited the recent BMC Writeshop as a way of implementing one of the Philippines’ NAP’s objective to establish a BMC list.

 “Such a list will be important not only for the BWC, but also for the Philippine Strategic Trade and Management Act and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540,” she stated.

The side event, during an event entitled “Identifying Needs and Providing Tailored Solutions: The Experience of the National CBRN Action Plan” held on November 10 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, was organized by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in coordination with the Permanent Mission of Montenegro to the United Nations Office at Geneva, and the European Union.

The Eighth BTWC, also known as Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference, is taking place from November 07 to 25 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Review Conference is held every five years. The BTWC was negotiated in 1972 and entered into force in 1975; the Philippines became a state party in 1972. The Convention has 177 State Parties. END