AHG43 Page 1-4 (Part I)

AD HOC GROUP OF THE STATES PARTIES

TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION

OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND BWC/AD HOC GROUP/43 (Part I)

STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL 15 October 1998

(BIOLOGICAL) AND TOXIN WEAPONS

AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION Original: ENGLISH

Twelfth session

Geneva, 14 September - 9 October 1998

PROCEDURAL REPORT OF THE AD HOC GROUP OF THE

STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION

OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND STOCKPILING OF

BACTERIOLOGICAL (BIOLOGICAL) AND TOXIN WEAPONS

AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION

PART I

1. The Ad Hoc Group of States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction held its twelfth session at the Palais des Nations, Geneva from 14 September to 9 October 1998, in accordance with the decision taken at its eleventh session. The Group held 40 meetings during that period under the chairmanship of Ambassador Tibor Tóth of Hungary. Ambassador John Campbell of Australia and Ambassador Javier Illanes of Chile served as Vice-Chairmen of the Group. Mr. Vladimir Bogomolov, Political Affairs Officer of the Department of Disarmament Affairs, served as Deputy Secretary of the Group.

2. At the twelfth session of the Ad Hoc Group, the following States Parties to the Convention participated in the work of the Group: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Venezuela and Viet Nam. The following signatory States to the Convention also participated in the work of the Group: Egypt, Morocco and Myanmar.

3. At the 1st meeting, the Ad Hoc Group decided to continue its consideration of Agenda Item 9 entitled "Strengthening of the Convention in Accordance with the Mandate as it is contained in the Final Report of the Special Conference of the States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention" (BWC/SPCONF/1, September 1994).

4. At its twelfth session, the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group was assisted by Friends of the Chair in his consultations and negotiations on particular issues as follows:

Definitions of Terms and Objective Criteria
- Dr. Ali A. Mohammadi (Islamic Republic of Iran)
Measures to Promote Compliance
- Mr. Richard Tauwhare (United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland)
Investigations Annex
- Mr. Peter Goosen (South Africa)
Measures Related to Article X
- Mr. Carlos S. Duarte (Brazil)
Legal Issues
- Ambassador John Campbell (Australia)
Confidentiality Issues
- Ambassador Dr. Günther Seibert (Germany)
National Implementation and Assistance
- Mr. Ajit Kumar (India)
Seat of the Organization
- Ambassador Akira Hayashi (Japan)
Preamble
- Mr. Malik Azhar Ellahi (Pakistan)

5. Out of the 40 meetings the Ad Hoc Group held in accordance with the programme of work, 10.5 meetings were devoted to issues related to "Measures to Promote Compliance", 6 meetings were devoted to "Measures Related to Article X", 8 meetings were devoted to "Definitions of Terms and Objective Criteria", 1 meeting was devoted to "Legal Issues", 9.5 meetings were devoted to "Investigations Annex", 0.5 of a meeting was devoted to "Organization/Implementational Arrangements", 2 meetings were devoted to "Confidentiality", and 0.5 of a meeting was devoted to "National Implementation and Assistance". The Friends of the Chair were assisted by Mr. Vladimir Bogomolov and Mr. Jerzy Zaleski, Political Affairs Officers of the Department of Disarmament Affairs, and Ms. Iris Hunger, Professional Assistant.

6. The results of the discussions are attached to this report. (Annex I) In addition to the statement of the Chairman that the position of delegations is not prejudiced by this paper, individual brackets have been introduced to cover specific preliminary concerns of delegations and it is recognized that further and detailed consideration of all elements will be required at future sessions.

7. Proposals for future consideration from the Chairman and Friends of the Chair on the respective parts of the Rolling Text regarding the work undertaken in the respective areas are attached in Annex IV without prejudice to the positions of delegations. It was reaffirmed that the Rolling Text is the only basis for negotiations in the Ad Hoc Group.

8. In addition to the documents presented at its previous sessions, the Ad Hoc Group had before it 28 working papers covering all elements of the mandate under discussion and which are listed in Annex III.

9. The Ad Hoc Group addressed, in the course of the Chairman’s consultations and informal meetings, the issue of the intensification and programme of work of the Ad Hoc Group.

The Ad Hoc Group decided to hold its thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth sessions in the following periods in 1999: 4 - 22 January; 29 March - 9 April; 28 June - 23 July; 13 September - 8 October. As for the seventeenth session, the Ad Hoc Group agreed to hold it in the period of 22 November - 10 December 1999, without prejudice to the actual length of that session, of which two weeks can be reviewed by the Ad Hoc Group by consensus.

It is the intention of the Ad Hoc Group to develop indicative programmes of work for the thirteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth sessions, which would require the presence of technical experts for well identified and distinct periods in the course of those sessions, if delegations wish to avail themselves of this opportunity. Furthermore, the Ad Hoc Group wishes to adopt a programme of work for its fourteenth session, which is similar in its clustering structure to the March 1998 Indicative Programme of Work. In so doing, the Ad Hoc Group intends to balance the time devoted to all the subjects under consideration over the course of the 1999 schedule of meetings.

In the period of 18 - 22 January 1999 when both the Ad Hoc Group and the Conference on Disarmament are in session, the Ad Hoc Group meetings will not convene on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

10. At its 40th meeting on 9 October 1998, the Ad Hoc Group adopted the estimated costs of the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth sessions of the Group as contained in document BWC/AD HOC GROUP/42.

11. The Ad Hoc Group considered and adopted the Indicative Programme of Work for the thirteenth session to be held from 4 - 22 January 1999. (Annex II)

12. At its 40th meeting on 9 October 1998, the Ad Hoc Group considered and adopted its draft procedural report (BWC/AD HOC GROUP/L.26 to L.34 and addenda).