Philippines Facilitates Talks on International Cooperation Against Biological Weapons

Friends of the Chair Jonelle John Domingo (Philippines) and Trevor Smith (Canada) during informal consultations with States Parties to discuss coordination and assistance under Article X of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). (photo from Geneva PM)

GENEVA 15 August 2023 – The Philippines is helping advance diplomatic talks to establish a mechanism to facilitate international cooperation and assistance under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). 

A diplomatic panel, officially called the Working Group on Strengthening the BWC, was established in 2022 to flesh out issues related to the institutionalization of the treaty. It is chaired by Ambassador Flavio S. Damico, Brazilian Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Second Secretary Jonelle John S. Domingo of the Philippine Permanent Mission in Geneva, is one of two diplomats appointed as “Friends of the Chair” for international cooperation and assistance, and helped facilitate informal consultations that led to the identification of potential elements of such a mechanism, including a diplomatic committee to facilitate international assistance and a voluntary trust fund.

International cooperation and assistance under the BWC has long been hampered by differences on, among others, whether the imposition of economic sanctions or export controls hamper the peaceful uses of life sciences or they are essential to controlling materials and technologies that could also proliferate biological weapons. 

Various proposals were put forward at the Working Group level to overcome these differences and to operationalize international cooperation and assistance. Among these proposals was a suggestion to create a cooperation advisory group, which was presented by Ms. Kristine Leilani R. Salle, Chargé d’Affaires of the Philippine Mission in Geneva, on behalf of all ASEAN Member States.

Most delegations expressed support for the Philippines’ suggestion for further talks around the elements that the “Friends of the Chair” identified. The meeting tasked them to put together a “food for thought” paper that could help facilitate focused discussions on the issue in between the formal sessions of the Working Group.

Negotiations for the treaty’s implementing protocol, which could have allowed the BWC to verify whether states parties are adhering to the treaty’s ban on biological weapons production and stockpiling, broke down in 2001 and had been unable to move forward, until the establishment of the Working Group last year. 

ASEAN Foreign Ministers welcomed the establishment of this Working Group in their joint communique issued in July this year. They also called for multilateral negotiations to strengthen the BWC, noting that the lack of verification measures pose a challenge to the said treaty and that enhancing cooperation and assistance in the BWC context is important.

The Philippine Government has been among the strongest supporters of international cooperation and assistance under the BWC, providing yearly financial donations to support a cooperation database that is being maintained from Geneva.

In June last year, the Philippines together with the Republic of Korea and the U.S., hosted a table-top exercise among ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Member States in Manila to simulate regional response to a biological attack in the region.

In his speech at the United Nations last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. stressed “the need to update global structures” on the peaceful uses of biology, among others. END

Friend of the Chair Jonelle John S. Domingo delivers remarks on coordination and assistance under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). (photo from Geneva PM)

For more information, visit https://www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph,  https://www.facebook.com/PHinGeneva/  or https://www.instagram.com/phingeneva/ .