A side event titled “International Agency for Biological Security: Progress and Prospects in the Context of the Institutionalization of the BWC” organized by the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations in Geneva was convened at the Palais des Nations, DKnews.kz reports.
Held on the sidelines of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), the event brought together diplomats, experts, and stakeholders to discuss innovative approaches to enhancing global biosecurity measures.
Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN in Geneva Yerlan Alimbayev informed the participants about the updated draft documents on the establishment of the Agency and noted the importance of joint efforts to address biosecurity risks in an era of emerging challenges. He shared the progress in the implementation of Kazakhstan's initiative to create the International Agency for Biological Security (IABS) and informed the participants about the new resolution of the UN General Assembly supporting institutionalization measures for the BWC.
A distinguished panel of speakers included representatives from Pakistan, UNIDIR, WHO, and Pugwash Office in Geneva. The discussion explored key areas of progress, challenges, and practical steps toward institutionalizing biosecurity measures. The panelists highlighted the critical role of multilateral collaboration in addressing biological threats and underscored the importance of advancing the initiatives to enhance the implementation of the BWC.
International Agency for Biological Security an initiative launched by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2020. Since then, this initiative has been widely discussed in various international fora. On December 2, 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution encouraging the exploration of measures to institutionalize the BWC, including the possibility of creating an international agency for biological security.
