Geneva, 19 November-7 December 2001

BACKGROUND DOCUMENT ON COMPLIANCE BY STATES PARTIES
WITH ALL THEIR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONVENTION ON
THE PROHIBITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION AND
STOCKPILING OF BACTERIOLOGICAL (BIOLOGICAL) AND
TOXIN WEAPONS AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION

Prepared by the secretariat

Addendum

1. In paragraph 22 of its report (BWC/CONF.V/PC/1), the Preparatory Committee for the Fifth Review Conference 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 decided to request the secretariat to compile a background document on compliance by States parties with all their obligations under the Convention. The Preparatory Committee, furthermore, decided that for the purpose of preparing this document the secretariat would request States parties to provide information regarding compliance with all the provisions of the Convention.

2. The present document contains the information provided by States parties to the secretariat, as of 21 November 2001, pursuant to paragraph 22 of the report of the Preparatory Committee.

The Republic of Uzbekistan recognizes the importance of the signature of the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed on 17 June 1925 in Geneva, and is committed to its obligations to implement the Biological Weapons Convention.

In that connection, on 22 December 1995, the Republic of Uzbekistan acceded to the Convention and on 26 January 1996 the Biological Weapons Convention entered into force for Uzbekistan.

Over the last few years, appropriate legislative arrangements have been made in Uzbekistan to facilitate the country's compliance with its obligations under the Convention.

BEC/CONF.V/3/Add.5
page 2

Pursuant to a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers (Government) of the Republic of Uzbekistan of 14 December 1998, an Uzbek national authority on implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention has been established, in the form of a commission of the Cabinet of Ministers on implementation of the conventions on the prohibition of chemical and biological weapons.

This national authority prepares and transmits annual reports to the UnitedNations Department for Disarmament Affairs on compliance by the Republic of Uzbekistan with its obligations under the present Convention.