Geneva Hosted an International Conference on International Agency for Biological Safety  

Geneva, April 12, 2022 - An international conference was held in dedicated to the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the establishment of the International Agency for Biological Safety (IABS). The hybrid-formatted event was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UN European Office and the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP).

The conference was attended by titled experts in the field of biological safety, representing the governmental and academic circles of Italy, the USA, Russia, UK, France, China and other countries, as well as current and former representatives of international organizations. Particularly, former OSCE Secretary General and Director of GCSP Thomas Greminger, Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Ahmet Uzumcu, Director of the Pugwash Movement affiliate Sergey Batsanov and Chairman of the 2016 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) Review Conference György Molnar. The delegation of the Kazakh MFA was headed by Director of the International Security Department Kairat Sarzhanov.

The conference participants emphasized the high relevance of the initiative of the Head of Kazakhstan in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid development of biotechnologies that require regulation through a specialized international body.

In his speech, K.Sarzhanov focused on the current challenges in the field of biotechnology, the alleged contribution of IABS to solving the most important problems in this industry, as well as the work carried out by the MFA of Kazakhstan in the framework of this project.

Fruitful discussions were held on the most significant aspects of IABS, including the reasons for its initiation, goals and functions, the structure and organization of the Agency, as well as further actions to promote the initiative.

Participants noted the significantly increased risks associated with biological research, including the growing interest in the use of biotechnology and the increase in the number of laboratories with high-risk pathogens, emphasizing the relevance of effective biorisk management and support for the peaceful use of biotechnology development. It was noted that there was no real progress in negotiations on the institutional strengthening of the BTWC, which is the main legal instrument in this area.

At the follow-up discussion, the experts considered prospects for implementation of the IABS initiative, next steps and further joint actions on international platforms so that the international community could give an adequate response to the growing biological safety risks for the mankind.