Biological Weapons Convention
Second Regional Workshop

Bali, 6th-7th March 2006

The Second Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Regional Workshop, co-hosted by the Australian Department of Defence and the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs under the auspices of the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law (APCML), was held in Bali, Indonesia on 6-7 March 2006. This was a follow up to the First BWC Regional Workshop held at the University of Melbourne Law School in February 2005. The Workshops provide a regional forum for discussion of effective national implementation of the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention.

Thirty seven participants attended the Second Workshop, with representatives from Indonesia, Australia, Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The Australian delegation included representatives from the APCML (Dr Bob Mathews, LTCOL Geoff Cameron CSC, Treasa Dunworth and Sarah Finnin), the Department of Defence, Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The objectives of the Second Workshop were to promote regional awareness of and engagement in the BWC; to discuss the importance of bio-security; to examine national mechanisms for maintenance of the security and oversight of pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins; to facilitate the establishment of a forum for networking with a view to developing partnerships in enhancing bio-security and bio-safety; and to provide a forum for sharing of information.

Update on the Status of the Proceedings

The APCML is currently preparing the second (2006) volume of the Proceedings of the BWC Regional Workshops.