Publications

The Global Forum on Scientific Advances Important to the Biological Weapons Convention facilitates engagement between scientists performing cutting-edge research and States Parties delegations to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). The Global Forum helps the delegates become familiar with some of the rapid advances in the biological and related sciences that affect the treaty and its implementation, and it demonstrates to scientists the role of the BWC in shaping the governance of these technologies. Our efforts to inform BWC delegations on emerging and future biology and biotechnology capabilities supplement an existing portfolio of programs—including the BWC Meetings of Experts and regional science and technology workshops hosted by the InterAcademy Partnership—that work collectively to help States Parties identify and evaluate potential biological threats and develop mechanisms to allow the BWC to remain adaptive to these new capabilities. Additionally, the Global Forum supports efforts, such as model codes of conduct, to foster a culture of responsibility among the scientific community that enables researchers to pursue advanced and revolutionary capabilities while simultaneously encouraging them to account for potential risks and mitigate those effects.

This year, the Global Forum was cosponsored by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). The formal involvement of UNODA and the BWC Implementation Support Unit highlights the importance of addressing emerging science and technology in the context of the BWC and the commitment to facilitating engagement between scientists and policymakers to identify and understand emerging biological capabilities and risks.