United States Mission Geneva

The 2010 Meeting of Experts will held in the Palais des Nations Room XIX from 23 to 27 August 2010. In accordance with the decision of the Sixth Review Conference, the Meeting of Experts will discuss, and promote common understanding and effective action on the provision of assistance and coordination with relevant organizations upon request by any State Party in the case of alleged use of biological or toxin weapons, including improving national capabilities for disease surveillance, detection and diagnosis and public health systems.

The highest priorities of U.S. national security are the safety of Americans at home and abroad and achieving a peaceful, stable world through global cooperation despite a flawed international system, President Obama says.

The effective dissemination of a lethal biological agent within an unprotected population could place at risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The unmitigated consequences of such an event could overwhelm our public health capabilities, potentially causing an untold number of deaths. The economic cost could exceed one trillion dollars for each such incident.

I have come here today to share with you President Obama’s strategy for preventing biological weapons proliferation and bioterrorism. The United States intends to implement this strategy through renewed cooperation and more thorough consultations with our international counterparts in order to prevent the misuse and abuse of science while working together to strengthen health security around the world.