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Experts Call for Better Security in the Life Sciences
Nongovernmental experts today announced plans to establish a council that would advise governments on policies related to the life sciences, in light of fears that such work could be used by terrorists, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, March 5). Security features for the life sciences lag behind those for nuclear and chemical research, said Michael Moodie, president of the Washington-based Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute, and Terence Taylor, president of the U.S. office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Hoping to advance ethical thinking in their field, the two plan in 2005 to establish a body to be called the International Council for the Life Sciences. “What we’re trying to do is raise that awareness, strengthen that sense of responsibility, that culture of responsibility so that together we can help keep these risks at a manageable level,” Moodie said in Singapore, where he and Taylor were attending an international biosafety conference. Moodie and Taylor said the organization would establish a global life sciences code of conduct for governments and related industries, such as pharmaceutical companies, research institutes and nongovernmental organizations, adherence to which would be a prerequisite if they wanted to join the new body. The council would also organize annual seminars on industry issues and help governments develop policies related to the life sciences (Agence France-Presse, April 29).
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