Danish Centre for Biosecurity and Biopreparedness – assistance to implementing the BWC
Centre for Biosecurity and Biopreparedness • Established in 2001 under the Ministry of Health. • Core responsibilities include issuing licenses, inspections, awareness raising, education of biosecurity officers and maintaining a 24/7 response capability. • 30 employees with a background in microbiology, medicine, political science and experience from police or defense. 4
Centre for Biosecurity and Biopreparedness Threat analysis Counter- Biosecurity measures Expert Early support warning Field Analysis investigation 5
Steps in assistance activities • Preliminary contact: international biosecurity course • Evaluation of needs: survey • Developing a legal framework • Building the system: players, rules, procedures • Implementation phase
Preliminary contact Prevent mass destruction Why bio io -security? Allow technology development Comply with Protect science international against misuse obligations 5
Evaluating the needs • Survey in Kenya : 86 participating laboratories • Gaps (awareness, biosecurity culture, physical security,…) and dual -use potential • Results publically-available • Also done in Denmark in 2006 Bork, K. H. et al. 2007. Biosecurity in Scandinavia. Biosecur. Bioterror. 5 :62-71.
Legislative framework: what to control Annex 1 of the EU Council Regulation ≈ (EC) No 388/2012 Australia Group common control list License required prior to work Biological agents Delivery devices Equipment Microbiological laboratories ” Related materials: ...technology … Technology (know how) which could be used for the design, development, production or use of … biological weapons and their means of delivery ” UNSCR 1540 7
Building the system Biosecurity Physical elements Immaterial elements • Security installations • Biosecurity culture • Access control • Information security • Stock management • Technology control • Transport security • Ethical code • Biopreparedness Act of Parliament & Executive orders 8/20
Danish Partnership Program on Biosecurity in East Africa Objective : To mitigate the risk of harmful biological incidents by supporting the establishment of national biosecurity and biopreparedness systems, including legal frameworks and capacities. Geographical focus: Kenya Thematic focus : Biosecurity and biopreparedness. Danish partners : MFA, MoD and MoH. Kenyan partners : MoEST, NACOSTI, MoH, CBRN Team. International partners : EU/UNICRI, US. Funding : the Danish Peace and Stabilization Fund – a funding mechanism promoting a whole-of-government approach to stabilization in fragile areas. 15
The East African biosecurity risk Risk of infectious disease as a result of biological incidents, deliberate or accidental - could severely affect peace and stability at national, regional and international levels: • Wide prevalence of biological dual-use material • Limited measures to prevent unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, diversion or intentional release • Regional instability, social unrest and hostile groups with regional outreach such as al-Shabaab • Kenya is a hub for regional and international air travel, thus constituting a risk for rapid global spread. 14
Status Activities/results so far : • Survey and gap analysis of biosecurity in 86 Kenyan facilities • Publication of An efficient and practical approach to Biosecurity • Established working relationship with NACOSTI, responsible for coordinating the bioscience policy and bill • Support to the legislative process, including facilitation of 7 drafting retreats, development of a work plan, policy brief and costing plan • Draft biosecurity policy and bill • Training of key personnel 16
Way forward Current engagements : - Legal and regulatory framework - Biosecurity capacity building - Biosecurity awareness raising - Biopreparedness capacity building - Regionalization, including a regional conference on biosecurity 17
International initiatives • Global Health Security Agenda : Action Package Prevent-3 • European Biosecurity Regulators Forum 13
International Biosecurity Courses • Training course on the establishment of a national biosecurity system • Based on the book: an efficient and practical approach to biosecurity • Rationale, legislation, inspections, technology control, biopreparedness 14
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