Mr. Chair,
Bangladesh aligns itself with the statement delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Allow me to share our national position.
The world today confronts diverse and unprecedented security challenges. These challenges and in particular, conflict in Ukraine have shaken the foundations of international peace and security. Our common hope for peace and stability is in jeopardy.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) presents an incalculable consequence for regional and global security and requires transnational cooperation for solution. We join others in voicing the need for further strengthening multilateral efforts to prevent the use or threat of use of WMDs that contain chemical, biological and radioactive materials. We express our deep concerns on the growing possibility of terrorists and other unauthorized non-state actors using or gaining access to such WMDs in certain situations.
Mr. Chair,
Bangladesh remains committed to the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of all provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). We strongly condemn any use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstances.
Immediately after the ratification of the CWC in 1997, Bangladesh submitted necessary declaration regarding the chemical weapons and their production facilities. We enacted the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act in 2006, formulated the Enrollment Rules in 2010, and following that established Bangladesh National Authority for CWC to implement and fulfill our obligations under the convention.
Despite making significant progress in preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons, we saw repeated use of chemical weapons in recent years. The international community must be united in condemning such uses and those responsible must be held accountable in a transparent manner. In this regard, we stress on the paramount importance of upholding the credibility and integrity of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and allowing the OPCW to deliver on its mandates and responsibilities with due diligence and impartially.
Mr. Chair,
Bangladesh maintains robust cooperation with the OPCW to promote the peaceful use of chemicals. Bangladesh is the first Member State of the OPCW to introduce Chemical Incident Preparedness for Hospitals (HOSPREP) in July 2019. We also partnered with OPCW to build capacity of our national experts in managing chemical supply chain security.
We call upon the Member States to recommit to never using chemical weapons by destroying remaining stocks. We reiterate our call for the universalization of the Chemical Weapon Convention.
Mr. Chair,
Bangladesh considers Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) as an important legal instrument related to WMD. While unprecedented advances in biological science and technology have brought immense opportunities, concerns for their potential uses contrary to the provisions of the Convention remain. We reaffirm our commitment to fulfill the provisions of BWC.
The international community must work together to ensure that the BWC can effectively address present and future challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed our shared vulnerability to the potentially catastrophic consequences of pathogens and other biological threats.
In this regard, we underscore the importance of the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article X of the Convention through enhancing international cooperation, assistance and exchange in toxins, biological agents, equipment and technology for peaceful purposes. We reiterate the need for further strengthening the BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU) to effectively respond to various capacity building needs of State Parties, especially to the LDCs.
We also call for establishment of an international body with a mandate to investigate suspected outbreaks of biological agents. The upcoming 9th Review Conference will be an opportunity to ensure that the BWC is able to address the biological threats that may lie ahead.
To conclude, Mr. Chair, Bangladesh recalls the need to prevent the emergence of new types of WMD, and therefore, underscore the necessity of international cooperation and action in this regard.
I thank you.