You are subscribed to Arms Control and International Security for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Kiribati Accedes to the Biological Weapons Convention 05/20/2025 04:33 PM EDT Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson HomeKiribati Accedes to the Biological Weapons Convention hide Kiribati Accedes to the Biological Weapons Convention Press Statement May 20, 2025 The United States congratulates Kiribati, which deposited its instrument of accession to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) with the United States on May 20, 2025. In this 50th anniversary year of the BWC, the United States, as one of the treaty's depositary governments, recognizes and welcomes Kiribati's important decision to join the more than 180 other BWC States Parties in advancing the goal of complete elimination of biological weapons. With Kiribati's accession, all countries in the Asia Pacific region are now party to the BWC, increasing our collective security. The BWC is critical to international efforts to address the threat posed by biological weapons, whether in the hands of State or non-State actors. Maximizing the BWC's effectiveness requires all States to become Parties and fully implement its obligations. We strongly urge all States not party to the BWC to join the Convention without delay. Tags Biological Weapons Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Kiribati Office of Chemical and Biological Weapons Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Weapons and Military Technology Stay connected with the State Department:   External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This email was sent to caterresearch9.news@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520