Cablegate: Uganda: Africa Workshop On Biosafety and Security

VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKM #1108 2671004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241004Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1808
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0134

UNCLAS KAMPALA 001108

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC KPAO PREL PTER UNSC XA KE UG
SUBJECT: UGANDA: AFRICA WORKSHOP ON BIOSAFETY AND SECURITY
DEMARCHE RESPONSE

REF: STATE 96413

(SBU) Poloff delivered non paper and informed the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) of our commitment to support African
participants to the February 2010 workshop on biosafety and
biosecurity per reftel on September 23. MFA Multilateral
Affairs Officer Isaac Sebulime said UNSCR 1540 implementation
was a bit "scattered" within the Government of Uganda (GOU),
and that the MFA played the largest coordinating role,
despite a lack of expert knowledge. He said the workshop
would be valuable for the GOU and that the MFA would consult
with partner ministries to identify participants upon
receiving a draft agenda. Sebulime said that while the
Ministry of Energy has a Radiation Control Committee, the
Ministry of Gender and Labor is more involved in monitoring
the most-likely potential threats through its occupational
safety and material accountability inspections of substances
used in manufacturing, agriculture and medicine. He said
elements of the police and military, such as the Joint
Anti-Terrorism Task Force, have a security role, and that the
Ministry of Health's Virus Research Institute has a biosafety
role. Embassy point of contact for the workshop is Poloff
Trevor Olson, OlsonTR@state.gov, telephone 256 (0)
414-259-791.
LANIER

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