On Preventing Hostile Use of the Life Sciences
On 7 May 2004 the ICRC, in partnership with the British Red Cross, convened a one-day roundtable with representatives of the UK-based life science community in London. Representatives from government agencies, industry, scientific and medical associations and academic researchers participated in this roundtable 'On preventing hostile use of the life sciences'. The aim of the meeting was cross-sectoral engagement on the issues raised in the ICRC appeal and, in particular, to promote joined-up thinking and action to prevent poisoning and the deliberate spread of disease.
Panelists, asked to speak from various perspectives on the types of actions that could contribute to a 'web of prevention', included representatives of the British Red Cross, ICRC, University of Bradford, Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC), the Royal Society, the UK Government's Porton Down biodefence establishment, British Medical Association, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the multi-national pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
The roundtable discussions amongst the approximately 40 attendees focused on themes such as
1. How to promote and disseminate awareness of international legal norms relevant to preventing hostile use of the life sciences at the individual and institutional level.
2. Means of educating scientists about risks, rules and responsibilities and the creation of a culture of responsibility and enhancing complementary and co-ordinated action.
3. The type of practical measures that individuals and institutions could implement in their own environments to reduce risk of misuse of their materials and technologies.
A recurrent theme in discussions at the roundtable concerned the importance of education and consciousness-raising in helping to enhance a 'culture of responsibility' within the life science community.
The London roundtable was the first of a series of regional roundtables On preventing hostile use of the life sciences the ICRC is preparing to convene in different regions around the world in 2004-05, designed to promote and disseminate greater awareness about taboos against poison and deliberate spreading of disease.
Other activities
The ICRC has also contributed, by invitation, to other gatherings around the world on the themes reducing the risks associated with the potential for hostile misuse of the life sciences.
From 26 to 28 April the International Institute for Strategic Studies-US (IISS-US) and the Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute (CBACI), both based in the United States, organized an Asian regional workshop on 'The future of the Biotechnology Industry: Safeguarding the Opportunities and Managing the Risks', held in Singapore. Around 30 representatives from biotech companies (primarily CEOs or senior company officers), government laboratories and other agencies and academia from several countries in Asia participated.
The ICRC had the opportunity at this meeting to present the concerns in the ICRC appeal to a fresh audience. The ICRC urged the different actors present to explore possible individual actions as well as greater "joined-up thinking" in risk reduction concerning the possibility of hostile use of the life sciences.
On 19 April 2004 the United Nations Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, in association with the US National Academies of Science, hosted a one-day informal and off-the-record meeting of experts in Washington to provide input on biological threats for the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in November 2003. The ICRC was invited to participate.
Discussions were nominally divided into 4 clusters:
1. The public health challenge of natural and deliberate disease outbreaks.
2. The scientific community and the dual use dilemma in biotechnology.;
3. Harmonizing international standards for biosecurity; and
4. Global cooperation in the development of biotechnology.
The roundtable provided insights into various perspectives on enhancing control of biological materials and technologies. And, it allowed the ICRC the opportunity to promote the aims of the Appeal encapsulating the idea of a 'web of prevention', especially scientific education in order to enhance a culture of responsibility through greater grass-roots awareness.
