Model for Biosecurity Science and Technology Review- International Advisory Body, BWC

The objective of this award is to provide States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) with consensus recommendations to strengthen their ability to leverage advisory and analysis capabilities for evaluating the benefits and risks of scientific advances and biotechnology developments. Specifically, to establish the structure of an international science advisory body for biosecurity and a model framework it can use to provide scientifically sound and politically credible technical analyses of developments in science and emerging biotechnologies and the biosecurity implications to the States Parties to the BWC. This process will help better guide national-level policy decisions and fulfillment of Parties’ obligations under the BWC. The recommendation and model framework would ultimately be submitted to the BWC Revcon Preparatory Meeting in April 2021 for consideration by States Parties, with the hope that a consensus approach would be recommended to the 2021 review conference for its approval, leading to establishment of a new science advisory body in 2022.

WMDT will execute this project in coordination with the Office of Biological Policy Staff (BPS). BPS manages a wide range of policy issues at the intersection of national security, public health, and science and leads U.S. Government participation in activities related to the BWC. The recommendation and model framework development process would draw on the global network of the IAP, consisting of 111 national science academies, which would select technical experts to participate, in close cooperation with the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM).