Biosecurity protocol
Encyclopedia
Biosecurity
protocol refers to several politically-controversial attempts to unify global biosecurity
measures and responses, in a similar manner to a biosafety protocol. Although some propose a "Biosecurity Protocol" to extend the Biosafety Protocol to organisms considered weapons (already controlled by UN arms proliferation treaties), others argue this is an inappropriate response to military threats, and argue for a broad biodefense
instead.
As of 2002, the latter view was prevalent in military and scientific circles, the former in NGO
s, some UN agencies, and Green Parties. Most cooperation was restricted to attempts to define "biosecurity
" itself.
A major issue is whether to accept the Precautionary Principle
, or by extension, any restrictions on militarily-useful research by major powers. Compromises, e.g. the 2002 US government request to scientists to delete procedural details of experiments on dangerous organisms, are strongly resisted by most American scientists. Extreme positions, e.g. Bill Joy's argument for relenquishment of nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, are considered a legitimate part of the debate, but have yet to achieve any serious political support, even among Green Parties.
Whether these negotiations and compromises will yield a comprehensive biosecurity protocol is doubtful. It seems that basic political differences drive the debate which are unlikely to easily resolve, and that military alliances will influence tax, trade, and tariff systems and import/export restrictions more than any diplomatic or scientific protocol.
Biosecurity
Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms...
protocol refers to several politically-controversial attempts to unify global biosecurity
Biosecurity
Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms...
measures and responses, in a similar manner to a biosafety protocol. Although some propose a "Biosecurity Protocol" to extend the Biosafety Protocol to organisms considered weapons (already controlled by UN arms proliferation treaties), others argue this is an inappropriate response to military threats, and argue for a broad biodefense
Biodefense
Biodefense refers to short term, local, usually military measures to restore biosecurity to a given group of persons in a given area who are, or may be, subject to biological warfare— in the civilian terminology, it is a very robust biohazard response. It is technically possible to apply...
instead.
As of 2002, the latter view was prevalent in military and scientific circles, the former in NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s, some UN agencies, and Green Parties. Most cooperation was restricted to attempts to define "biosecurity
Biosecurity
Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms...
" itself.
A major issue is whether to accept the Precautionary Principle
Precautionary principle
The precautionary principle or precautionary approach states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those...
, or by extension, any restrictions on militarily-useful research by major powers. Compromises, e.g. the 2002 US government request to scientists to delete procedural details of experiments on dangerous organisms, are strongly resisted by most American scientists. Extreme positions, e.g. Bill Joy's argument for relenquishment of nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, are considered a legitimate part of the debate, but have yet to achieve any serious political support, even among Green Parties.
Whether these negotiations and compromises will yield a comprehensive biosecurity protocol is doubtful. It seems that basic political differences drive the debate which are unlikely to easily resolve, and that military alliances will influence tax, trade, and tariff systems and import/export restrictions more than any diplomatic or scientific protocol.