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.
