On 12 December 2003, the European Council adopted the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Chapter III of which contains a list of measures to combat such proliferation. Such measures need to be taken both within the Union and in third countries.

The Union is actively implementing that strategy and is giving effect to the measures listed in Chapter III thereof, in particular by releasing financial resources to support specific projects conducted by multilateral institutions, by providing States with technical assistance and expertise with regard to a wide range of non-proliferation measures, and by fostering the role of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

On 28 April 2004, the UNSC adopted Resolution 1540 (2004) (‘UNSCR 1540 (2004)’), which was the first international instrument to deal in an integrated and comprehensive manner with weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery, and related materials. UNSCR 1540 (2004) established binding obligations for all States, and those obligations aimed to prevent and deter non-State actors from obtaining access to such weapons and weapon-related material. The UNSC also decided that all States are to take and enforce effective measures to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials.

In his Agenda for Disarmament ‘Securing our Common Future’, which was presented on 24 May 2018, the UN Secretary-General emphasized that ‘we must continue to strengthen our institutions to prevent any use of biological weapons, including by strengthening the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention, and to ensure that we can mount an adequate response in case prevention fails’, and that there is a need to ‘contribute to developing a framework that ensures a coordinated international response to the use of biological weapons’.

Two project proposals have been prepared by OAS with a view to strengthening overall biological safety and security in Latin America.

OAS/Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (‘CICTE’) Secretariat should be entrusted with the administration and management of the projects to be carried out under this Decision.

OAS/CICTE Secretariat should ensure efficient cooperation with relevant international organisations and bodies such as the BTWC Implementation Support Unit, the UNSC Committee established pursuant to UNSCR 1540 (2004), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. OAS/CICTE should also ensure the complementarity and synergy of projects undertaken on the basis of this Decision with relevant completed and ongoing projects, with activities in Latin America that are supported by individual EU Member States, and with other Union-sponsored programmes in this field including the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and the EU Centres of Excellence on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation,