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S&T Reviews for the BWC and CWC: The Contributions of International Scientific Organizations

Exploring challenges in policy, roles of scientists, and workshops held by global science networks for chemical and biological risks under the BWC and CWC agreements.

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S&T Reviews for the BWC and CWC: The Contributions of International Scientific Organizations

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  1. S&T Reviews for the BWC and CWC: The Contributions of International Scientific Organizations Jo L. Husbands Scholar/Senior Project Director Board on Life Sciences U.S. National Academy of Sciences

  2. The Challenges for Policy • A challenge to governments both to track the changes and to understand their implications • Processes of monitoring and assessing different and distinct needs and functions • Especially difficult for governments to track trends, to appreciate what is real and what is promise • Need the help of the scientific community, of those doing the research • Scientists inside and outside government needed to debate implications of scientific advances • Governments, individually and internationally/collaboratively, will decide how to address the implications • But scientists can have a role in helping to assess potential risks and benefits – and trade-offs – to inform decisions • To fulfill these roles, need scientists to be aware and engaged – one reason for education

  3. Meeting the Challenges There is already an informal “scientific advisory network” operating for chemical and biological risks • Workshops on trends in S&T for all three CWC review conferences and 6th and 7th BWC review conferences • Engaged with both BWC and CWC – and hence able to address areas of increasing overlap between chemistry and biology as a technical issue

  4. Meeting the Challenges The Workshops • July 2002─CWC: International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) workshop in Bergen, Norway • September 2006─BWC: IAP: The Global Network of Science Academies/International Council for Science/Royal Society workshop in London • April 2007─CWC: IUPAC workshop in Zagreb, Croatia • November 2010─BWC: IAP & 2 international unions workshop in Beijing, China • February 2011—CWC: IUPAC workshop in Spiez, Switzerland

  5. Meeting the Challenges Common Features of the S&T Workshops • Sponsored by major international scientific organizations/networks • Support from national academies and professional societies • Mix of nongovernment researchers in key fields and government scientists and technical experts • Genuinely international participation • Discuss and debate advances – conclusions about the state of S&T and potential implications • Do not make recommendations for policy

  6. Meeting the Challenges Beijing 2010 • Informal consultations with several states parties and ISU • Funding from government and private sources • Held before Chinese-Canadian workshop on the RevCon • Convened by IAP: the Global Network of Science Academies and two international science unions • Hosted by Chinese Academy of Sciences • Almost 80 participants from 28 countries, BWC ISU and UNODA • International steering committee organized by US NAS organized workshop & prepared reports • Factual summary of presentations released in time for PrepCom • Final report released at UN 1st Committee event in October • Executive summary served as primary ISU background document for Review Conference • Extensive dissemination effort

  7. Meeting the Challenges Spiez 2011 • FormaI request from OPCW SAB to International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) • OPCW provided financial support, as did several governments • Hosted by SPIEZ LABORATORIES, Swiss national CBRNE laboratory • Almost 80 participants from 25+ countries, OPCW and BWC ISU – a number of SAB members • International steering committee under IUPAC and staffed by US NAS organized meeting and prepared report • Preliminary conclusions and recommendations to SAB six weeks later • Final report released not long before RC-3 in Pure and Applied Chemistry, the IUPAC journal • Dissemination effort limited because of funding

  8. Continuing challenges Some Questions • How to increase acceptance and impact? • Who “owns” the Convention? Does it “belong” to the States Parties”? • Especially true for BWC • How best to connect outside discussions to the treaties’ processes? • How to engage and inform diplomats with limited S&T background? • How and where to find funding to enable sustained work by outside groups, for meetings but also for dissemination

  9. For Current BWC Intersessional Process What now? Some Possibilities • From scientific organizations, more systematic dissemination to states parties and engagement of national affiliates • For BWC, workshops and events geared to annual S&T topics • Research Roadmap for Microbial Forensics, 14-16 October 2013 (IUMS, Royal Society, Croatian and US Academies) • Understanding Pathogenicity, August 2014 MXP (IAP, others) • This time, just prior to the MXP (à la Pugwash) • Aiming to attract more technical experts • Side event for diplomats to translate • For CWC, meeting with OPCW science advisor during IUPAC General Assembly in August 2013 to discuss relationship and explore new ideas

  10. For more information Jo L. Husbands jhusband@nas.edu THANK YOU! All NAS reports are available as free pdfs from www.nap.edu

  11. Meeting the Challenges IAP: The Global Network of Science Academies* • Network of now 106 of the world’s science academies, created in 1993 • Devoted to increasing capacity of academies to be effective advisors on science policy • Issues statements endorsed by member academies and also has programmes and initiatives • IAP created a Biosecurity Working Group, February 2004 • Current members – the academies of Australia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland (chair), Russia, U.K., and U.S. • IAP released a Statement on Biosecurity, December 2005 • Endorsed by 69 of then 90 member academies from all over the world • Presented to 2005 intersessional meetings • Collaborated on Forums and Workshops *Formerly the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues

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