Exhibit 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION
                          PURSUANT TO 17 CFR 240.13a-14
                                PROMULGATED UNDER
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Christopher B. Wood, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-KSB of Bioenvision, Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
     make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
     statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this annual report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I am responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

     (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
         disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
         supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
         registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
         us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
         which this annual report is being prepared;

     (b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures and presented in this annual report our conclusions about
         the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the
         end of the period covered by this annual report based on such
         evaluation; and

     (c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
         13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) that occurred during the registrant's most
         recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the
         case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
         reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting;

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of
     directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):


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     (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
         operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
         reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
         employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting.


Date: October 13, 2005

                                                      /s/ Christopher B. Wood
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     Christopher B. Wood
                                                     Chief Executive Officer