AD HOC GROUP OF STATES PARTIES TO BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

CONVENTION OPENS TWENTY-SECOND SESSION

The Ad Hoc Group of the States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BCW) opened its twenty-second session on 12 February at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  Under the chairmanship of Tibor Toth of Hungary, the Group will meet until 23 February 2001.

The traditional participants -- the 52 States parties to the BWC and three signatory States to the Convention -- are taking part in the work of the Ad Hoc Group.

For 2001, the Ad Hoc Group has allocated nine weeks of negotiating time: two weeks from 12 to 23 February; three weeks from 23 April to 11 May; and four weeks from 23 July to 23 August.

Upon completion of the negotiation process, the States parties are expected to convene a special conference to adopt the verification protocol that they are negotiating.

The mandate of the Ad Hoc Group to negotiate the protocol came from the 1994 Special Conference of States parties to the BWC.  The Fourth Review Conference of the BWC in 1996 mandated the Ad Hoc Group to complete the negotiations for the protocol as soon as possible before the Fifth Review Conference.

The Fifth Review Conference of the States parties to the BWC will convene from 19 November to 7 December 2001 for three weeks, with the Preparatory Committee for the Fifth Review Conference scheduled from 25 to 27 April 2001.

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