Media Note
U.S. Mission in Geneva
BWC Review Conference – U.S. Highlights International Assistance,
Need for Coordinated Preparedness and Response
“We must come together to prevent, detect, and fight every kind of biological danger – whether it is a pandemic like H1N1, a terrorist threat, or a treatable disease.” – – President Obama, United Nations General Assembly, September 22, 2011
On December 7, 2011 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed the Seventh Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Review Conference (BWC RevCon) to stress that the Obama Administration has made the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction a top priority, and views the risk of a bioweapons attack as both a serious national security challenge and foreign policy priority. In an age when people and diseases cross borders with growing ease, bioweapons are a transnational threat, and the United States must protect against them with transnational action.
Along the margins of the formal BWC Review Conference sessions, U.S. Conference on Disarmament Ambassador and BWC Representative Laura Kennedy hosted three events that provided an overview of the U.S. approach to several critical BWC areas. These events were open to all conference participants, including delegates, industry and international and nongovernmental organization representatives and journalists.
The December 8 event focused on showcasing the goals and underlying rationale of the U.S. biodefense program. (Read more) The December 9 event featured senior U.S. Government policy officials and program managers who spoke to the depth and breadth of U.S. Government international cooperation and assistance efforts in health and the life sciences under Article X of the BWC. The event showcased the programs of the U.S. Departments of State, Health and Human Services (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health), Agriculture and Defense. The December 13 event demonstrated the need for greater coordination and preparation to deal with biological incidents, whatever the cause, demonstrating the interlinked goals of Article VII and Article X of the BWC. The event included presentations from representatives of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Relief Assistance. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Department of Global Capacities, Alert and Response, World Health Organization also participated in the discussion.
The three week Review Conference opened on December 5 and concludes December 22, 2011.
First Side Event on U.S. Biodefense Programs, December 8, 2011
Panelists:
- Thomas Countryman, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation
- Daniel Gerstein, Deputy Under Secretary for Homeland Security for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security George Korch, Senior Science Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Second Side Event on U.S. Assistance Provided Under Article X of the BWC, December 9, 2011
Panelists:
- Kathryn Harris, Foreign Affairs Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense Kathryn Insley, Deputy Director, Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction, U.S. Department of State
- Scott Dowell, Director, Division of Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Michael Johnson, Deputy Director, Fogarty International Center, U.S. National Institutes of Health
- Selwyn Jamison, Program Manager for Bioterrorism Prevention, Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Rebecca Katz, Public Health Scientist, Biological Policy Staff, U.S. Department of State
Third Side Event on International Preparedness and Response, December 13, 2011
Panelists:
- Isabelle Nuttall, Director of the Department of Global Capacities, Alert and Response, World Health Organization
- Gregor Malich Head of Project, NRBC Operational Response in the Department of Operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- George Korch, Senior Science Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Scott Dowell, Director, Division of Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Nance Kyloh, Senior Humanitarian Advisor, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development
To view the presentations at these events, please see links
Click here to view Deputy Under Secretary Daniel Gerstein December 8 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Dr.George Korch December 8 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view George Korch December 9 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Scott Dowell December 9 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Selwyn Jamison December 9 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Michael Johnson December 9 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Harris & Insley December 9 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Scott Dowell December 13 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Dr. Geroge Korch December 13 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view Nancy Kyloh December 13 powerpoint presentation
Click here to view U.S. Mission Geneva’s photos of these and other events.