DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
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support and coordination for the functioning of the Mechanism, including
updates of the roster and support for experts’ training.
In 2011, collaboration between UNODA and international organizations
continued to identify specialized international expertise relevant to
investigations of alleged use of biological weapons. In January, UNODA and
the World Health Organization signed a memorandum of understanding30 concerning the latter’s support to the Secretary-General’s Mechanism.
The memorandum provided for specific joint activities to strengthen the
mechanism and cooperation in specific investigations.
In August, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task
Force published a report of its Working Group on Preventing and Responding
to Weapons of Mass Destruction Attacks. The report, entitled “Interagency
Coordination in the Event of a Terrorist Attack Using Chemical or Biological
Weapons or Materials”, 31 inter alia, described the Secretary-General’s
Mechanism and noted that the Mechanism could come into play in case of a
chemical and biological terrorist attack. It acknowledged “a continuing need
to work on the interoperability of procedures, to train investigation experts,
and to conduct exercises to test and improve these procedures in realistic
environments”.
The Secretary-General’s Mechanism was discussed during the Seventh
BWC Review Conference held in December. The Final Document of the
Conference recognized that the Secretary-General’s Mechanism represented
“an international institutional mechanism for investigating cases of alleged use
of biological and toxin weapons”. The Conference noted national initiatives to
provide relevant training to experts that could support the Secretary-General’s
investigative mechanism. In particular, the Government of France offered to
organize in 2012 a training course for experts from the Mechanism’s roster.
30 Available from http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Secretary-General_Mechanism/UN_
WHO_MOU_2011.pdf (accessed 12 April 2012).
31 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), “Interagency Coordination in the
Event of a Terrorist Attack Using Chemical or Biological Weapons or Materials”, CTITF
Publication Series (August 2011). Available from http://www.un.org/en/terrorism/ctitf/
pdfs/ctitf_wmd_working_group_report_interagency_2011.pdf (accessed 12 April 2012).