International Forum on Biosecurity

On 20-22 March 2005, The InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP), the International Council for Science (ICSU), the InterAcademy Medical Panel (IAMP) and The National Academies of the United States hosted an “International Forum on Biosecurity” at the Centro Alessandro Volta in Como, Italy. The purpose of the Forum was to: Serve as a major convening and coordinating mechanism to share information about activities that are under way or being planned to address the biosecurity issue. For example, a number of organizations already have or will be developing codes of conduct for those doing research in the life sciences or biomedical fields. Some of these are seen as a contribution to the meetings of experts and States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention in the summer and fall of 2005, where codes of conduct will be discussed. Provide an opportunity for a discussion of these activities, identifying potential gaps and needs and how they might be filled, and, in this context, opportunities for future international cooperation and collaboration. Broaden the debate and advance the awareness in the life sciences and biomedical research communities – and in the international scientific community more generally – about the challenges posed by the “dual use” dilemma. The Forum’s agenda grew out of the recommendations from the 2003 report by The National Academies on Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism that reflects growing awareness that rapid developments in the life sciences and biomedical research, while offering great benefits, also pose the risk that the knowledge, tools, and techniques that enable these advances might be misused to cause deliberate harm. The report recommends that any effort to address this “dual use” dilemma must ultimately be international, since biotechnology research is a genuinely global enterprise. The scientific community has an essential role in ensuring that efforts to manage the risks do so in a way that fosters both improved security and strengthened international collaboration to ensure scientific advances. The Forum's invitation-only, informal, off the record sessions brought together leaders from the international scientific community and other stakeholders. Each participant attended as an individual rather than in an official or representative capacity, and every effort was made to ensure a diversity of perspectives on the issues. The agenda, participants list and presentations are available on this website.

Participant List Agenda Presentations