Czech Republic has submitted assistance offer to Member States of BTWC

During regular Meeting of Experts BTWC, held on August 23 – 27, 2010 in Geneva, Czech representatives has submitted offer of assistance to Member States of the Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). According to Articles V and X Member States are encouraged to broad cooperation in exchange of technical information related to execution of BTWC.

Czech Republic becomes 13th state of 171 BTWC Member States submitting assistance offer through Implementation Support Unit BTWC within the Geneva Branch of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). As EU member state of the Czech Republic has acted in order with EU Joint Action and has offered technical assistance in adopting administrative measures required for the full implementation of the BTWC including continuation of assistance visits in BTWC Member States to prepare national Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). The Czech Republic through the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) as the National Authority of BTWC has also offered sharing experiences with national inspection framework to verify data included in CBMs.

Important part of the Czech assistance offer is opportunity of training courses for personnel of national and international institutions related to BTWC. To fulfill that part of assistance offer the Czech Republic has prepared equipped indoor and outdoor training facility with skilled staff. All assistance activities are coordinated by Department of Non-Proliferation, SÚJB. Technical guarantee is nominated to Karel Lehmert, Division of Biological Weapons Prohibition.