Terence Taylor spoke at the opening session of the 3rd International Security Symposium on the subject of the Responsible Conduct of Science. He also chaired and spoke at the session on synthetic biology. The event took place at the Cusani Palace in Milan, Italy and was attended by participants from around the world. BBIC Steering Committee member Dr Bassam Hayek (Jordan) also attended. The event was organised by Milan University under the leadership of Professor Maria Rita Gismondo. In addition to ICLS the sponsoring oganisations included the European Biosafety Association, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and the Italian government.

The Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference Process (BBIC) took another important step forward with the successful conduct of the BBIC-2011 regional conference in Amman, Jordan in collaboration with the Royal Scientific Society and El Hassan Science City from 13 to 15 September. There were nearly 130 participants from 23 countries. In addition to the main conference a biosafety training day was conducted on 12 September as well as a biosafety association development day on 16 September. The conference enjoyed strong support from its Patron HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal and from HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan in her role as President of the Royal Scientific Society and Founder of El Hassan Science City. Drawing on the discussions at the conference the BBIC Steering Committee is developing a substantial work plan for the next two years that will form a pathway to BBIC-2013.

Dr Rainer Wessel (ICLS Board Member) and Michael Weis, of CI-3 Clustermanagement (based in Mainz, Germany), called at ICLS to discuss possible future collaborative work. Dr Wessel is also currently chairman of BioDeutschland, the premier German biotechnology industry organisation. Dr Andrew Powell, Founder of the Center for Risk Communication-Asia(Singapore), a longstanding friend of ICLS, also joined the discussions.

At a the 3rd Cambridge University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conference on Security and Human Behaviour, Terence Taylor gave a presentation on his work with Dr Raphael Sagarin and colleagues on their Natural Security project (see www.naturalsecurity.arizona.edu). The conference was held on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cambridge/MIT collaboration is seeking novel approaches to security challenges through a better understanding of human behaviour. Terence Taylor’s talk focused the work of a multi-disciplinary group, led by Dr Sagarin, on conceptual approaches to security policy derived from an analysis of 3.5 billion years of biological evolution.

As part of the European Union’s preparations for the 2012 Summit Meeting on a Middle East WMD Free Zone, Terence Taylor participated in a meeting in Paris on 8 and 9 June aimed at developing approaches that would support productive discussions at the summit. Terence Taylor gave a presentation of collaboration on life sciences within the Middle East and North Africa.

In Paris, at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Terence Taylor met Dr Gretchen Kalonji , Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences. They discussed their respective programmes in the Middle East and North Africa with a view to possible collaboration.

Tim Trevan participated in the Institute on Science for Global Policy’s (ISGP) conference on Emerging and Persistent Infectious Diseases: Focus on Prevention, held in San Diego 5-8 June 2011 and in a sidebar meeting on the challenges posed and opportunities offered to the life sciences community by synthetic biology.

At their meeting in Jerusalem, the Executive Board of the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS) requested ICLS support for joint biosafety and biosecurity training. Terence Taylor represented ICLS at the meeting. MECIDS is a consortium health security experts from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority (see www.mecidsnetwork.org).

At the Potomac Institute in Arlington, Virginia, Terence Taylor was a panel speaker for a discussion on the implications of the recent events in the Middle East and North Africa and their impact on international security policy.

Terence Taylor participated in a seminar at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington DC on challenges to the laws of armed conflict posed by recent developments in terrorism, counter-insurgency operations and scientific and technological advances. In a panel discussion Terence Taylor spoke to the theme of challenges posed by scientific and technological developments to the limited right of anticipatory self-defense. The discussion in this panel centered on Terence Taylor’s article in The Washington Quarterly The End of Imminence? (Vol 27:4 pp. 57–72).

On 13-14 April 2011, Tim Trevan participated in the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering jointly-hosted two day symposium to discuss the economic and social life of synthetic biology. This symposium was the first time the expertise and networks of the science and engineering academies from the UK, China and US had been brought together, producing a unique opportunity for researchers, policy makers and firms interested in this emerging field to discuss the promises and challenges. It was the first in a series of three symposia, each held in a different country (UK, China and US).

On 8 April 2011, Tim Trevan participated in a meeting of the International Federation of Biosafety Associations’ (IFBA) Accreditation Working Group. He contributed written comments on the CEN WS 53 draft document on Biosafety Professional Competence, which were incorporated into the IFBA’s response to CEN.

Terence Taylor participated in two-day international course on biosafety leadership sponsored by the American Biosafety Association and the Elizabeth R. Griffin Foundation. He gave a talk on the principal elements of leadership in the context of safe and secure conduct of work in biological laboratories.

Two staff, Major Toru Hareyama and Dr Yoshifumi Fukuyama from the Ministry of Defence of Japan visited ICLS for discussions on biosecurity. Terence Taylor and Tim Trevan briefed them about ICLS’ work and on their perspectives on biological risks and appropriate responses. Ms. Tomomi Moriyama studying at Georgetown University in Washington DC also attended

On 30 March 2011, Tim Trevan was invited to join an Advisory Group, established jointly by the European Union and the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit to assist in the development of a National Implementation Guide for the Biological Weapons Convention.

Tim Trevan, Dr Ahmed Bashir (EAD, Abu Dhabi), Dr Yehia Ghazi (OIE, Middle East Regional Office) visited Sudan 27-31 March 2011 hosted by Dr Eltayeb Ali (Sudan Atomic Energy Commission). They held meetings with Sudanese officials from the Ministries of Science and Technology (including the Minister), Health, Animal Resources, and Agriculture to raise awareness of biosafety and biosecurity issues and to encourage the government to develop an interdepartmental committee to develop a national biosafety and biosecurity strategy for the country. Tim Trevan made four presentations to 300 life scientists on the principles of biosafety and biosecurity. The group also called on the Director-General of the Arab League’s Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) (based in Khartoum) to discuss the potential for joint BBIC/AOAD action on biosafety and biosecurity strategies at the Arab League level.

Terence Taylor was a panel speaker and participated in a special event at the New York Hall of Science for the launch in the USA of a major travelling exhibition called “1001 Inventions” that is intended to draw attention to the contribution of the Muslim world to the advances of science. The Exhibition moves next to the California Museum of Science in Los Angeles.

Sponsored by ICLS Board member James Tunkey, ICLS held an event at the Yale Club in New York City for a select private sector audience to hear a talk and participate in a discussion with Dr Alex Garza, Assistant Secretary for Health Security and Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Homeland Security. ICLS staff members Terence Taylor and Whitney Ray also participated.

Tim Trevan attended the Second Annual Conference of the African Biological Safety Association in Accra, Ghana 9-10 March 2011, where he presented on the work of the ICLS and on the Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference Process (BBIC). In addition, he participated in the Biological Safety Association Workshop on 11 March 2011 that followed the Annual Conference.

On 4 March 2011, Tim Trevan was invited to a roundtable with the Director General for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to debate future directions for the organisation now that the destruction of chemical arsenals phase of its work was drawing to a close.

Congratulations go to Dr Anwar Nasim (Science Adviser, COMSTECH and Chairman of the Pakistan Chapter of ICLS) as the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) has selected him as the winner of their BioAsia-2011 Award. The valedictory ceremony in honour of Dr Nasim is scheduled to take place on 24 February in Hyderabad, India. Dr Anwar Nasim is a former President of FABA and his services in the field are widely recognised in the world of biotechnology. His selection for the award was announced on 17 February by Dr BS Bajab, Secretary General of FABA.

IFBA held its first global conference in Bangkok from 15 to 17 February 2011. There were 160 participants from all regions of the world. At the conclusion of the conference on 17 February the participants issued a declaration on “Advancing Global Biosafety and Biosecurity” that sets out steps to raise awareness, measures to advance the global agenda through strengthening IFBA’s capabilities and lays out its long-term goals (see www.internationalbiosafety.org). ICLS President, Terence Taylor, jointly with Dr Mohammed Hassar, Director of the Pasteur Insitut of Morocco, presented on the activities of ICLS and the Moroccan Biosafety Association (www.mobsa.org) in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Committee on Science and Technology (COMSTECH) for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) held a workshop on the dual use aspects of synthetic biology. The majority of the participants were from Pakistan but scientists from Sudan, Turkey and India also participated. Dr Piers Millett of the Implementation Support Unit of the BTWC and Terence Taylor of ICLS gave presentations and participated in discussions in person. Representatives from Bradford University (UK), the International Association for Synthetic Biology (Dr Peer Staehler, www.ia-sb.eu) and Dr Robert Carlson (Biodesic) gave presentations by videoconference.

The second meeting of the Responsible Conduct of Science project (www.respscience.org) took place in Lahore on 31 January 2011 at the Forman Christian College and University (FCCU). Scientists from major academic and other institutions from around Pakistan attended. Dr Jo Husbands (US National Academies of Science) and Dr Kavita Berger and Dr Gwenael Coat presented and joined the discussions by videoconference. The key organiser was Professor Kauser Malik (FCCU) with support from the ICLS Chapter in Pakistan led by Dr Anwar Nasim. ICLS President, Terence Taylor, also participated. At the end of the conference the Lahore declaration was published. The next meeting is planned to take place in Karachi within the next six months.

A group of biosafety and biosecurity experts were invited to Tokyo from 11 to 14 January by the Institute for Science and Technology (RISTEX) to give presentations on and to discuss possible misuse of the advances in the life sciences for weapons purposes. Among the group were representatives from ICLS, the US National Academies, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Bradford University (UK) and the Mid-West Research Insitute. Institutions visited included Keio and Waseda Universities, the National Institute for Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Agency. Terence Taylor represented ICLS.

From 13 to 15 December the Steering Committee of the BBIC process met in Beirut, Lebanon. The 23 members, composed of representatives from the Middle East and North Africa region and experts from WHO, OIE, the US CDC and the UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) discussed preparation for the next BBIC regional conference due to take place in Amman, Jordan from 3 to 5 May 2011. Representatives from the Foundation for Environmental Security and Safety (www.fess-global.org) and Fondation Merieux (www.fondation-merieux.org) also participated.

A meeting of the States parties to the BTWC took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6 to 10 December 2010. ICLS President Terence Taylor attended the meeting and participated in a meeting of governmental and non-governmental organisations hosted by the Canadian Mission to the UN in Geneva to coordinate biosafety and biosecurity activities in various parts of the world.

ICLS offers congratulations to Professor Khalid Temsamani on his appointment as the Director of the "Regional Observatory for Environment and Sustainable Development" for Tangier-Tétouan. Professor Temsamani is also the founding President of the Moroccan Biosafety Association.

Terence Taylor and Tim Trevan attended the main program of the ABSA annual conference [http://www.absaconference.org] in Denver, Colorado, that took place from 4 to 7 October. On 5 October Terence Taylor joined an international group for a working breakfast with the outgoing and incoming Presidents of ABSA, and members its Executive Council, for a discussion that focused on strategy for ABSA’s international outreach. Also on 5 October Tim Trevan gave a presentation on “Issues Facing National and International Biological Risk Assessment, Mitigation and Management”. The event provided an opportunity for the ICLS staff to meet the Rev Caryl Griffin, Board member of the Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation [http://www.ergriffinresearch.org] and the Foundation’s Executive Director, James M. Welch. The Foundation is one of the principal sponsors and supporters of the ABSA annual conferences. The Foundation and ICLS have agreed to partner in order to pursue their common interests. On 6 October, Tim Trevan participated in a new Working Group established by the IFBA to assess the possibility of developing internationally-recognized accreditation for biosafety practitioners and professionals.

Terence Taylor participated in discussions at a Wilton Park conference in the UK on 25 and 26. The main focus of the conference was preparation for the 2011 Review Conference Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and action to help assure implementation of the Convention in the following years. While in the UK Terence Taylor also met Mr. John Tesch of the UK Cabinet Office on 27 September, whose responsibilities include the UK National Risk Register. The main subject of their informal discussion was the ICLS project on biological risk assessment and general approaches that could assist high-level policymakers handling complex risks. On the same day Terence Taylor also attended an event hosted by Professor Alan Fenwick, Imperial College (London) that included a special screening of a documentary on neglected tropical diseases “Distant Places Forgotten Lives” (see www3.imperial.ac.uk/schisto).

The CEO of Asia BioBusiness (Singapore), visited ICLS headquarters on 20 September for discussions with Terence Taylor. Dr Powell has been a longstanding supporter of ICLS and has participated in ICLS events in the Middle East, Russia and Singapore. The focus of their discussion was the prospects for developing ICLS activities in Asia.

ICLS is pleased to announce an institutional link with Bio Deutschland through cross-membership and very much look forward to collaborating on issues of common interest. For ICLS this is an important development to strengthen its connections in Europe as part of a global effort to help promote the advances in the life sciences, with due attention to safety and security, so that the humanitarian and economic benefits can be fully exploited. Engagement with the private sector is vital to success in this regard. For more information on Bio Deutschland see www.biodeutschland.org

3 September 2010 ICLS hosted a discussion meeting on a novel approach to enhancing national and international security policies by drawing on concepts from biological evolution. 3.5 billion years of evolution of living organisms reveal lessons in adaptation and counter-adaptation for success in countering, and living with, potentially catastrophic risks. Based on concepts set out in a book co-edited by Dr Raphael Sagarin and Terence Taylor called Natural Security the purpose of the meeting was to test the concepts and ideas with security policy practitioners in Washington DC. Representatives from the Office of the Secretary for Defense, the Office of Naval Research and the FBI were among the participants. On the next day some of the chapter authors of Natural Security presented their ideas at the annual conference of the American Political Science Association. For more see www.naturalsecurity.arizona.edu>

In preparation for the International Conference "Global Biosafety and Biosecurity: Taking Action", that will be held in Bangkok, Thailand in February of 2011, the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA http://www.internationalbiosafety.org/english/index.asp) held a strategic planning meeting in Ottawa to lay the foundation and the scientific program and format of the conference. The conference will kick-off IFBA's initiative "The Year of Building International Biosafety Communities". IFBA was represented by its President, Maureen Ellis from the Global Partnership Program (http://www.international.gc.ca/gpp-ppm/global_partnership-partenariat_mondial.aspx), Foreign Affairs Canada. Terence Taylor represented ICLS at the meeting. Also participating were: James Welch from the Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation (http://www.ergriffinresearch.org/), Willy Toniu, African Biological Safety Association (http://afbsa.org/), Heather Medwick and Kelly Johnston from the International Centre for Infectious Diseases (http://www.icid.com/), and Brad Goble from the TDV Global (http://www.tdvglobal.com/) who hosted the meeting.

The American Political Science Association held its 106th Annual Meeting & Exhibition on September 2-5, 2010, in Washington, D.C. Program Chairs Andrea Campbell, MIT, and Lisa Martin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, developed a timely theme “The Politics of Hard Times: Citizens, Nations, and the International System under Economic Stress.”
Terence Taylor was a discussant at the panel on the Evolutionary Approaches to International Security.
More information: http://www.apsanet.org/>

The Annual International Symposium Biosecurity and Biosafety: future trends and solutions will be held in Milan (Italy), on October 13-15, 2010.
The most recent Intelligence reports estimate identified the threat of bioterrorism as the intelligence community’s most significant WMD-related concern. This is because the knowledge, equipment, and pathogens required to construct a biological weapon are now globally dispersed, and there is no single technological methodology chokepoint or process that can be regulated to prevent the development of biological weapons.
The aim of this new symposium is to allow officials, policy analysts, scientists, health leaders, congressional staff members, and members of the media to share information, to implement ethic education, training programs, to improve strategy for countering biological weapons threats and infectious diseases outbreaks.
The Second Symposium on Biosecurity and Biosafety will provide you with a unique opportunity to exchange the latest research and information in this field.
For more information please check: http://www.bioemergency.eu/

ICLS participated in the first of three public meetings of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. The meeting took place on July 8, 2010 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. The Commission intends to provide recommendations to the President within a six month time on the likely benefits, risks of advancements in the field of synthetic biology and define appropriate ethical boundaries on any actions that the federal government should take to ensure that the American public reaps the benefits of this developing field and minimises the risks. Public commentaries are welcomed to be submitted to the Commission by September 1, 2010.

More about the Commission: www.bioethics.gov

The Computer Laboratory of the University of Cambridge hosted a third interdisciplinary workshop on the "Security and Human Behaviour" on June 28-29, 2010. Terence Taylor spoke about the Darwinian Security Project - "Natural Security - A Darwinian Approach to a Dangerous World". The workshop brings security engineers together with psychologists, behavioral economists and others interested in deception, fraud, fear, risk perception and how we make security systems more usable.

More information about the workshop: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/shb10

and the workshop committee's blog: http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2010/06/28/security-and-human-behaviour-2010/

The University of Edinburgh conducted a conference on the "Operational Adaptation" on June 22-24, 2010. The objective of the conference was to explore the role of adaptation and counter-adaptation in dealing with novel threats to international security in the 21st century. The conference brought academics and practitioners from the U.S. and Europe together, to share information on how scientific approaches to understanding and achieving effective adaptation can be exploited in counter- insurgency, counter-terrorism, strategy, and homeland security. Terence Taylor spoke at the conference on the subject of "Adaptation and Networking Across Conflicted Borders".

More information about the conference: http://www.lifelong.ed.ac.uk/OAC2010/index.htm

Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Corporation (COMSTECH) in collaboration with the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) and ICLS organised a conference on “The Responsible Conduct of Science - Safety, Security and Ethics” on 9th and 10th June, 2010, at COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad.
The conference has the following objectives:
1. To promote the concept that the responsible conduct of science lies with the scientists themselves;
2. To promote the ideal that science should not be misused to harm humanity;
3. To promote respect for the scientific professions in a way appropriate for an Islamic society;
4. To enhance the contribution of science to the Pakistani community at large;
5. To build a sustainable network in Pakistan that meets and publishes regularly on key issues related to the conduct of safe, secure and ethical conduct of science in the context of an Islamic society.

Read more: http://www.respscience.org/

The BBIC Steering Committee held its second full meeting in Abu Dhabi 18-19 May 2010. The Committee heard national reports on measures taken to implement the Framework Document and a report on the visit of the Regional Training centre (RTC) Feasibility Committee to US biosafety and biosecurity training facilities. Looking to the future, it discussed the work plan for the coming year, coordination and deconfliction of biosafety and biosecurity projects in the MENA region, fundraising, and preparations for BBIC-11 to be held under the auspices of HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan in Amman Jordan in May 2011. Dr Muthana al Majid (Iraq) was welcomed as a new member of the Committee, and the Presidency of the BBIC process was passed from Morocco to Jordan. During the meeting it was confirmed that the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan would host the BBIC-2011 conference. HRH Princess Sumaya intimated that BBIC-11 might be held under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal. The principal source of financial support for the Steering Committee meeting was the Islamic Development bank.

On May 10-12 the 15th Jordan Science Week "Science and Technology: Drivers of Change?" was held under the Patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah Il ibn Al Hussein as a part of the National Campaign on Public Awareness for the Drivers of Change.

In the inaugural speech, Princess Sumaya highlighted that "The initiative aims at achieving the objectives of the National Agenda and highlighting issues that are deemed top priority for the Kingdom… It also seeks to raise public awareness on the global drivers of change.”

Drivers of Change is a research-based publication developed by Arup to help its business and clients identify and explore leading factors which will affect our world in the future. The publication is a planning tool that helps the user to ask the right questions in order to plan effectively for the future. It investigates themes including: energy, waste, climate change, water, demographics, urbanisation and poverty.

As a part of the Special Panel on Development and Drivers of Change, headed by HRH Prince El- Hassan bin Talal, Chairman, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, Terence Taylor addressed the conference with the remarks on the dynamics and drivers of change for biotechnology.
To read Mr. Taylor's remarks, please open this link: http://iclscharter.org/editor/userfiles/image/file/Drivers_of_Change_Biotechnology_Taylor_10_May_10.pdf

Terence Taylor gave two presentations at a seminar on "Strategic technologies and our Global Future" at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy in Switzerland on 15 and 16 April. The focus of his presentations was on the developments in the private biotechnology industry and the implications of advances in gene synthesis and related technologies. The seminar brought together participants from Asia, Europe, the Gulf and North America to discuss a range of strategic technologies and their implications for global security.

More information: http://www.gcsp.ch/Globalisation/Courses-and-Training/Specialized-Courses/Strategic-Technologies-and-Our-Global-Future

ICLS President Terence Taylor attended a workshop on the "Synthetic Biology and Nanobiotechnology Risks and Responses" at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in Turin, Italy on 24 and 25 March 2010.

The UN is holding two expert workshops in 2010 to assess future biosecurity risks of these technology fields as well as possible response measures, putting particular emphasis on bioterrorism concerns.

UNICRI’s project focuses on present and future biosecurity implications of advances in synthetic biology and nanobiotechnology. It examines the vast dual-use potential of these technology fields with a focus on their ability to enable the development of new or enhanced biological agents and weapons for criminal or terrorist purposes.

In a first step, the main objective of the project is to conduct a risk assessment of malevolent applications of synthetic- and nanobiotechnology under the broad involvement of bioscience and security experts as well as to propose possible response and mitigation measures. To achieve this objective, the Project will promote, facilitate and improve the exchange of information and knowledge between relevant stakeholders.

These activities will highlight a series of important emerging biological threats, identify areas which might require additional focus in the future and constitute an important step towards the consolidation of existing efforts in minimizing the risks of bioscientific advances, while ensuring that their great promises become reality.

More about the project: http://lab.unicri.it/bio.html

The first Moroccan Biosafety Association (MOBSA) Training Course on Biological Risk Management was held on February 13, 2010 in Tétouan, Morocco at the Barceló Marina Smir Hotel. It was attended by a total of 40 participants from 6 National Universities, the Institute Pasteur Maroc, the Gendarmerie Royale BSL3 Lab, the Military Hospital BSL3 Lab, the Tétouan Hygiene Municipal Bureau, the Tétouan Municipal Environmental Lab and the Fnidek Municipality Project Coordination staff.
The meeting was organized by the Moroccan Biosafety Association with a major support from the International Council for the Life Sciences (ICLS) and a slight contribution from the Municipality of Fnidek.

Terence Taylor met with Professor Atta-ur-Rahman, the Coordinator General of the Organisation of Islamic Conference’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and Professor Anwar Nasim, the Adviser Science at COMSTECH, also a member of the Steering Committee for the Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference (BBIC) process) to discuss plans for the upcoming conference on “Responsible Conduct of Science”.
The conference “Responsible Conduct of Science”, supported by ICLS and hosted by COMSTECH will take place in Islamabad on June 9-10 of 2010. The aim of the conference is to engage scientists from all disciplines to build a network that will help ensure ethical, safe and secure conduct of science. It is hoped that such network will build confidence and help facilitate international collaboration.

Leaders from governments and businesses, including Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, and Peter Albatef, President of Dell Services, came together on February 18, 2010 to devise strategies to address the world's most pressing security concerns.

WSC provides an opportunity for policymakers, specialists, journalists, and business leaders to craft new solutions to ongoing challenges for global security, especially in the fields of countering terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime. WSC7 was co-sponsored by the World Customs Organisation, The Financial Times, Dell, Deloitte and the Canadian Government in its capacity as Chair of the G-8.

Terence Taylor presented at the conference workshop on business resilience after bio-threats. Other topics discussed included: climate security, cybersecurity, alternative futures for Afghanistan and the stability of Southwest Asia, economic crisis and others.

Professor Khalid Temsamani also presented on the ME regional perspective on BSS by describing the benefits of the ICLS supported the Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference (BBIC) process. Prof Temsamani is the Founding President of the Moroccan Biosafety Association (MOBSA).

For more information, read: http://www.ewi.info/wsc7

ICDDT 2010 was conducted under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology. The conference was co-chaired by a long-time partner of ICLS, Professor Atta-ur-Rahman of COMSTECH, Pakistan. ICDDT 2010 has gathered hundreds of delegates from the Middle East region and all over the world. Most of the participants are academics, with a fair number of representatives from private pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, private foundations and non-profit research institutes. The major topics included: Global Roundup of Pharmaceutical Research Capabilities and Opportunities, Successful Drug Discovery from the Research Lab to the Clinic, Drug Discovery in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities, Translational Medicine, Enabling Technologies, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, Drug Delivery, Antiinfectives, Biologics, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary Disorders, Central Nervous System, Diabetes and Obesity, Inflammation and Immunology, Oncology, Women’s Health Issues, Regulatory Affairs, Generic Pharmaceuticals: Challenges and Opportunities, Nanotechnology in Biomedical Research, Drug Discovery in Preclinical Research, Endothelial Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Disease, Development in other Therapeutic Areas, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Global Pharma Outsourcing.

The conference aimed to provide many interesting perspectives on how science and technology of drug discovery and drug therapy are changing rapidly, thereby providing new opportunities and challenges to scientists and medical doctors.

To read more: http://www.icddt.com/index.htm

Photo: Professor Atta-ur-Rahman

ICLS, in cooperaton with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty and the Rheinland-Pfalz Association for the Reserve Armed Forces held a biosecurity forum to bring together military officers, scientists, politicians, private industry representatives and general public to promote awareness of the biological risks with an emphasis on the security aspects in order to influence regional and federal legislators to act. Approximately 120 participants attended the event. Mr. Terence Taylor presented on the importance of biosecurity and Dr. Rainer Wessel talked about the future of the biosecurity field in Germany. To read more about the forum (in German) http://aussen-sicherheitspolitik.de/?p=1414

Dr. Wessel has more than 20 years of experience in the life sciences. He currently is the Chief Business Officer and Spokesman for Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG where he previously served as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG. He currently serves as a Board Member for BioDeutschland, a German biotech industry organization, and as a member of The International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The International Council for the Life Sciences, along with the non-commercial partnership "TEMP" held the Fourth Annual Meeting of the International Advisory Group. The meeting was a part of the Russian Medical Forum conducted by the I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy. The participants discussed recent developments in biosafety and biosecurity field. The meeting was funded by the Global Partnership Program of Canada.

The workshop report, New approaches to biological risk assessment, reviews the spectrum of biological risks, from naturally occurring diseases through to the deliberate misuse of biological agents as weapons, and encompassing unintended risks such as laboratory accidents, and those associated with dual use research. It outlines some implications of advances in science and technology, and highlights key issues for the development of a common international approach to assessing biological risks.

The full report can be downloaded here: http://royalsociety.org/New-approaches-to-biological-risk-assessment/>