Chinese disarmament Ambassador: it is imperative to negotiate the verification protocol of the biolo

Original title: Chinese disarmament Ambassador: it is imperative to negotiate the verification protocol of the biological weapons convention

On September 8, Chinese ambassador for Disarmament Li Song made it clear at the special meeting on strengthening the Convention mechanism of the biological weapons convention that it is imperative to restart the negotiation of the verification protocol of the Convention. He said that as an important pillar of global biosafety governance, the Convention plays an irreplaceable role in promoting international peace, security and development. Promoting the comprehensive, balanced and effective implementation of the Convention is in the common interests of the majority of States parties and the international community. Verification mechanism is the most effective means to ensure compliance and build mutual trust. For 20 years, only the United States has been exclusively blocking the negotiation of the verification protocol. We urge the US side to reconsider the above position and support multilateral efforts to restart negotiations.
Li Song pointed out that for a long time, the United States is used to pointing fingers at other countries, but ignores the serious international concerns about its own compliance. This is a very unhealthy habit and extremely unfair practice. With the establishment of a verification mechanism, it will be clear at a glance who complies with the Convention and who breaches the contract. As the country with the largest biological militarization activities in the world, the domestic biological defense bases of the United States and its more than 200 biological laboratories all over the world are seriously lack of transparency and have potential security risks that can not be ignored, which is a major concern of the international community. Only the United States knows what it does best! We urge the United States to fulfill its obligations under the Convention in an open, transparent and responsible manner and to comprehensively clarify its biological militarization activities at home and abroad. The United States, which has "returned to multilateral relations", should play a "leading role" and give a painful explanation to the international community. Before establishing the verification mechanism, the existing compliance announcement mechanism should be strengthened, especially the United States should announce its overseas biological militarization activities.

Li Song stressed that the ninth Review Conference of the Convention to be held next year is an important opportunity to further strengthen the mechanism of the Convention. We should fully recognize the core role of the Convention in eliminating the threat of biological weapons, strengthening global biosafety governance, promoting peaceful uses and international cooperation, bear in mind the common goal of universal security and common prosperity, practice real multilateralism, and achieve win-win cooperation through concerted efforts. China hopes that the review conference will make a decision to restart the negotiation process of the verification protocol. All views and suggestions conducive to restarting the negotiation of the verification protocol can be discussed. The important thing is to redefine the common direction and start taking solid steps. He also introduced China's constructive position and propositions on the intermediate measures to strengthen the Convention mechanism, strengthen the review of scientific and technological development, actively promote international cooperation and strengthen the implementation support institutions.
During the meeting, China's proposal to restart the negotiation of the verification protocol was widely responded to. The non aligned group made a joint statement on behalf of 123 States parties, urged the United States to change its course and called for the resumption of this important negotiation as soon as possible. Representatives of Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, Cuba, India, Iran, Kenya, Venezuela, the Philippines, Ireland and many other countries spoke one after another, emphasizing the importance and urgency of strengthening the verification mechanism for the implementation of the Convention.

Source: permanent mission of China in Geneva