The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), through its 2026 – 2030 program to support the universalization and effective implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, has conducted a series of workshops to strengthen the national implementation of the Convention in Gabon, Liberia and Senegal.
The activities were carried out within the framework of the Global Partnership’s Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa and with the support of Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.
Conducted between April and May 2026 following requests from the host countries, the three awareness-raising workshops aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of the rights and obligations arising under the BWC and to enhance their awareness of the respective roles and responsibilities of national stakeholders involved in national implementation. Particular attention was given to the preparation and submission of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), with participants receiving practical guidance on relevant procedures and engaging in interactive exercises to examine inter-agency coordination and stakeholder contributions to the CBM process.
The workshops brought together a broad range of actors, including government representatives, scientific experts and members of civil society, in order to create opportunities for substantive dialogue on the practical implementation of the Convention and approaches to strengthening national compliance frameworks. By promoting greater awareness, coordination and national ownership, these sensitization workshops contribute to reinforcing States’ commitment to the objectives of the BWC and to supporting them to fulfil their obligations under the Convention.
The workshop in Gabon took place on 28 and 29 April 2026, only a few months after the nomination of the country’s first National Contact Point (NCP) in December 2025, marking an important step forward in Gabon’s engagement with the BWC. Since acceding to the Convention in 2007, Gabon has submitted one CBM report, highlighting the importance of sustained support to strengthen reporting capacities.
The workshop was opened by Roseline Mboukou Foutou, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who reaffirmed Gabon’s commitment to disarmament, non-proliferation and the effective implementation of the BWC. The event was particularly significant as it marked the first activity conducted by UNODA in an African State Party hosting a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory on its territory, namely the International Centre for Medical Research of Franceville (CIRMF).
The participation of senior representatives from CIRMF as well as other laboratories brought technical expertise and practical perspectives to the discussions, especially on issues related to biosafety, biosecurity, scientific research and the role of high-containment laboratories in national implementation of the Convention. Their engagement underscored the importance of involving scientific institutions in national BWC implementation efforts.
During the workshop, participants identified three priority areas for follow-up action over the coming months: the establishment of a national coordination mechanism to strengthen inter-agency cooperation on BWC implementation; the preparation and submission of Gabon’s second CBM report, with the objective of transmitting it to the BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU) before the end of 2026; and the identification and review of existing laws and regulations relevant to BWC implementation in order to assess gaps in the national legal and regulatory framework.
In Liberia, forty-three delegates from various Liberian government ministries, agencies and institutions gathered in Monrovia on 28 and 29 April 2026. The workshop sought to encourage broad cooperation and engagement on issues related to national implementation of the BWC and included the sharing of experiences, challenges and good practices, as well as the building of networks and new working relationships.
The workshop also provided an overview of the rights and obligations under the Convention and sought to clarify the roles of key national stakeholders in the implementation process. As a State Party that is yet to submit a first CBM report, the workshop also endeavored to enhance the knowledge of participants on the obligation prepare and submit CBMs and explored the roles of various national stakeholders in the preparation and submission process.
The workshop was formally opened by Liberia’s Deputy Minister for Administration and Public Safety, Ms. Cora Hare-Konuwa. The Deputy Minister highlighted Liberia’s commitment to the BWC and noted that such commitment went beyond a legal or political obligation and reflected a firm national stance against the misuse of biological science and technology.
As a State Party that has recently taken important steps towards comprehensive implementation of the Convention, including the recent re-designation of a BWC National Contact Point, Liberia is now well placed to consolidate progress and prepare and submit the country’s first CBM report.
In Senegal from 12 to 13 May 2026, the workshop gathered 38 participants representing more than 20 institutions, including major public health and research laboratories, customs authorities, the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Fisheries, as well as two elected members of the National Assembly’s Defence and National Security Commission. The workshop was opened by Ms. MameMadior SOW, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Defence, who reiterated Senegal’s commitment to strengthening its national legal and institutional framework related to the Convention.
A State Party to the BWC since 1975, Senegal has submitted 15 CBMs to date. The workshop therefore focused on enhancing institutional coordination for CBM reporting and increasing stakeholder awareness of legislative and regulatory implementation requirements. The practical training sessions on CBM preparation and submission are expected to contribute to improving both the consistency and quality of Senegal’s future CBM submissions. They also broadened national ownership of the reporting process by enabling a wider range of national stakeholders to identify, collect and transmit relevant information to the NCP.
In addition, the workshop helped raise awareness amongst institutions that had previously not participated in BWC-related activities, laying the groundwork for more efficient interministerial cooperation.
