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NINTH REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE STATES Secretariat: PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION BWC Implementation Support Unit OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND United Nations Office for Disarmament STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL (BIOLOGICAL) Affairs (Geneva Branch) AND TOXIN WEAPONS AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland Geneva, 28 November – 16 December 2022 +41 (0)22 917 2230 [email protected] www.un.org/disarmament/biological- weapons/ To the Permanent Representatives of the States Parties and Signatories to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction 29 September 2022 BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION – NINTH REVIEW CONFERENCE Excellency, As you are aware, the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 28 November to 16 December 2022. I would therefore like to invite your country to participate in the Review Conference and to hereby inform you of the practical arrangements for the meeting. Detailed information is provided in the annexed Aide- Mémoire. The provisional agenda of the Review Conference is available as BWC/CONF.IX/1. The Review Conference is open to all States Parties and signatories to the BWC. It will commence at 10:00 on 28 November 2022 in Conference Room XIX (Building E, 1st floor, Door 40). Public sessions of the Review Conference will be broadcast live on UN WebTV with interpretation in all official UN languages. Registration Registration for the Review Conference is now open. States Parties and signatories are requested to register their participation by letter or note verbale to the Implementation Support Unit at the e-mail address above conveying the composition of their delegation with the full names, titles and functions of the members, no later than 11 November 2022. Please identify clearly the head of delegation. Any delegation members who require a security identification badge for access to the Palais des Nations (i.e. experts from capital who do not have long-term UN security badges) must register online at https://indico.un.org/event/1001123/ by 11 November 2022 and upload a copy of the abovementioned note verbale during the registration process. Security badges can be collected from the Pass and Identification Unit at the Villa Les Feuillantines from Friday, 25 November 2022. Credentials Please note that in accordance with Rule 2 of the draft Rules of Procedure of the Conference (BWC/CONF.IX/2), States Parties are also required to submit formal credentials to participate in the Review Conference. Credentials shall be issued either by the head of state or government or by the minister for foreign affairs. Credentials should be submitted to the provisional Secretary-General of the Review Conference at the e-mail address above by 21 November 2022.  -2- General debate It is envisaged that the general debate will be held on 28 and 29 November 2022. To inscribe on the list, please send a request to the Implementation Support Unit to the e-mail address above. Where possible, please indicate the name and title of the speaker. Places on the list will be allocated in the order that requests are received, although the usual priority will be granted to speakers of ministerial or similar rank, and those speaking on behalf of groups. Given that a large number of States Parties are expected to take part in the general debate, the President-Designate of the Review Conference has requested that statements be kept to a duration of five minutes for national statements and seven minutes for statements made on behalf of groups. This will allow the general debate to be completed on time. Documentation Official documents of the Review Conference are available at https://meetings.unoda.org/section/bwc- revcon-2022-documents/ States Parties intending to submit working papers to the Review Conference are encouraged to do so by 28 October 2022 in order that the documents are processed and made available to all participants in good time. Such documents should be submitted in Microsoft Word format to the e-mail address above. States Parties which have submitted national working papers to past BWC meetings are invited to re-submit them to the Review Conference. Side events Any State wishing to organize an in-person or virtual side event during the Review Conference should complete the online form at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=2zWeD09UYE- 9zF6kFubccAuQa2PHz51Kr6InT0c_yFtUM0VPNUVQMDM4WUdYUVRIMllRUUgzVzVDUy4u Due to the ongoing renovations of the Palais des Nations under the Strategic Heritage Plan, the availability of rooms for in-person side events is extremely limited so it may not be possible to accommodate all requests for such side events. Further information Detailed information is provided in the attached Aide-Mémoire. Please review this document carefully prior to registration. Additional information and official documents for the Review Conference can be found at https://meetings.unoda.org/meeting/bwc-revcon-2022/ Any queries can be directed to the Implementation Support Unit at the e-mail address above. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Daniel Feakes Chief, BWC Implementation Support Unit Attachments: 1. Aide-memoire on participation in the Ninth BWC Review Conference 2. Guidance for submission of formal credentials  Kaitseministeerium Keskkonnaministeerium Maaeluministeerium 16.11.2022 nr 10.1-12/7241 Siseministeerium Sotsiaalministeerium Bioloogiliste relvade konventsiooni ülevaatekonverents 28.11 – 16.12.2022 toimub Genfis bioloogiliste relvade konventsiooni ülevaatekonverents. Ülevaatekonverentsil hinnatakse konventsiooni täitmist ning otsitakse võimalusi selle toimimist parandada. Eesti on bakterioloogiliste (bioloogiliste) ja toksiinrelvade täiustamist, tootmist ja varumist keelustava ning nende hävitamist nõudva konventsiooniga ühinenud 1993. aastal. Ülevaatekonverentsil osalemiseks on vajalik välisministri allkirjaga volikiri. Seepärast palume teil Välisministeeriumile hiljemalt 24.11 teatada, kas teie või mõni teie valitsemisala asutus soovib konverentsile saata oma esindaja. Euroopa Liit kavatseb konverentsil esitada ülevaate EL ja liikmesriikide tegevustest globaalse bioohutuse ja bioturvalisuse parandamisel ning on selleks palunud sisendit liikmesriikidelt. Palume teilt informatsiooni, kas teie valitsemisalas on praegu või viimase 5 aasta jooksul toimunud rahvusvahelisi koostööprojekte selles valdkonnas. Lugupidamisega (allkirjastatud digitaalselt) Kyllike Sillaste-Elling poliitikaküsimuste asekantsler Lisa: Kutse bioloogiliste relvade konventsiooni ülevaatekonverentsile Dea Hannust +372 637 7116 [email protected] Islandi väljak 1 / 15049 Tallinn / +372 637 7000 / [email protected] / www.vm.ee / Registrikood 70002526