International Organizations 

"The Acronym Institute works with policy makers and non-governmental organisations to promote non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament by disseminating information and maximising negotiating opportunities in all available fora. When arms control measures become blocked, as at present on treaty ratification and the proposed ban on the production of fissile materials, the Acronym Institute will work to promote constructive dialogue and alternative approaches."

African Biological Safety Association
Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)
Mbagathi Way, P.O. Box 54840, NAIROBI-00200
Kenya
Telephone: + 254 (020) 272 2541

"The African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA) seeks to engage and promote biosafety, including biosecurity... AfBSA represents professionals working in the field of biosafety and endeavors to make biosafety a recognized profession with well defined tasks and qualifications. To achieve these objectives, AfBSA is currently developing initiatives towards training its members to attain the necessary skills in Biosafety and Biosecurity."

"The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to allow exporting or transshipping countries to minimise the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapon (CBW) proliferation." "The principal objective of members of the Australia Group is...to ensure, through licensing measures on the export of certain chemicals, biological agents, and dual-use chemical and biological manufacturing facilities and equipment, that exports of these items from their countries do not contribute to the spread of CBW."

The website is "a factual compendium of information on the BTWC [Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention], its Review Conferences and the ongoing efforts to strengthen the regime. Deliberate disease - whether against humans, animals, or plants - is totally prohibited by this Convention. The ongoing efforts to strengthen the regime would over time increase transparency and build confidence between States Parties that they are in compliance with the obligations of the Convention."

"The BioWeapons Prevention Project (BWPP) is a new global civil society activity that aims to strengthen the norm against using disease as a weapon. It was initiated by a group of non-governmental organizations concerned at the failure of governments to act. The BWPP tracks governmental and other behaviour that is pertinent to compliance with international treaties and other agreements, especially those that outlaw hostile use of biotechnology. The project works to reduce the threat of bioweapons by monitoring and reporting throughout the world. BWPP supports and is supported by a global network of partners."

"BASIC is a progressive and independent analysis and advocacy organization which researches and provides a critical examination of global security issues, including nuclear policies, military strategies, armaments and disarmament. BASIC assists in the development of global security policies, policy-making and the assessment of policy priorities, and promotes public awareness and understanding of these policies and of policy-making in Europe and the US." The strategic goal of BASIC's Biological Weapons Program is "to increase public awareness in the United States and Europe of the problems and dangers of BW proliferation and the opportunities for developing national, regional and global responses."

"The Crisis and Risk Network CRN (the former Comprehensive Risk Analysis and Management Network) is an initiative for international dialog on security risks and vulnerabilities, risk analysis and management, emergency preparedness, and crisis management. Through the interchange of views, the CRN helps to promote a better understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities confronting the risk community today and serves to establish a collaborative relationship and exchange among likeminded experts." CRN's Handbook on Biodefense Policies compares how select countries and international organizations politically and strategically approrach biodefense.

"The Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General is pleased to present the Health-EU Portal (the official public health portal of the European Union) and the wide range of information and data on health-related issues and activities at both European and international level. The main objective of this thematic Portal is to provide European citizens with easy access to comprehensive information on Public Health initiatives and programmes at EU level. The portal is intended to help meet EU objectives in the Public Health field, it is an important instrument to positively influence behaviour and promote the steady improvement of public health in the 25 EU Member States."

"GeneWatch UK believes that it is only with increased awareness of the potential abuses of genetic technologies amongst both scientists and civil society that the development of biological weapons can be avoided. As well as general awareness, institutional scrutiny to avoid possible abuses has to be cemented in international law."

"The Geneva Forum is a joint initiative of the Quaker United Nations Office, Geneva (QUNO), the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), and the Programme for Strategic and International Security Studies (PSIS) of the Graduate Institute of International Studies. Our overarching objective is to contribute to international peace and security by building partnerships among and between governments, international organisations and NGOs on disarmament and arms control issues of common concern. The work of the Geneva Forum comprises three main tracks: building agendas around new and emerging issues in arms control and disarmament; supporting ongoing arms control and disarmament negotiations; [and] promoting the implementation of arms control and disarmament agreements."

"The Harvard Sussex Program (HSP) exists in order to increase the contribution of scholarship to the formation of public policy on issues involving chemical/biological warfare (CBW) and its underlying technologies. University-based research, publication, other forms of international communication, and training of young people are the means HSP uses to this end. HSP also promotes frameworks of study, both national and international, that bring together scientists and other scholars with officials of governmental and intergovernmental bodies."

"IAP is a global network of the world's science academies, launched in 1993. Its primary goal is to help member academies work together to advise citizens and public officials on the scientific aspects of critical global issues. IAP is particularly interested in assisting young and small academies achieve these goals and, through the communication links and networks created by IAP activities, all academies will be able to raise both their public profile among citizens and their influence among policy makers." The organization's "biosecurity initiative focuses on the potential impact of biosciences research on our global society and, particularly, on the risks associated with the misuse of such research. In 2004 the IAP appointed a working group on biosecurity. This group was asked to develop a statement of principles that could guide IAP member academies and other scientific bodies in developing appropriate biosecurity codes of conduct."

"The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance." According to the ICRC, "developments in biotechnology have the potential to benefit people world-wide. Yet they may also be put to hostile uses as weapons of war or weapons which spread terror. The ICRC initiative on Biotechnology, Weapons and Humanity was prompted by the need to reduce the risk that biotechnology will be used to the detriment of humanity. It is intended to promote serious reflection on the risks, rules and responsibilities related to advances in this area."

"In order to strengthen international science for the benefit of society, International Council for Science (ICSU) mobilizes the knowledge and resources of the international science community to: identify and address major issues of importance to science and society; facilitate interaction amongst scientists across all disciplines and from all countries; promote the participation of all scientists...regardless of race, citizenship, language, political stance, or gender...in the international scientific endeavour; [and] provide independent, authoritative advice to stimulate constructive dialogue between the scientific community and governments, civil society, and the private sector."

"The IISS was founded in 1958 in the UK by a number of individuals interested in how to maintain civilised international relations in the nuclear age...The Institute grew dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s, expanding both because of the nature of its work and its geographical scope. Its mandate became to look at the problems of conflict, however caused, that might have an important military content. This gave fresh impetus to the Institute as it began to cover more comprehensively political and military issues in all continents. As this mandate developed, the Institute worked hard both to provide the best information and analysis on strategic trends, and to facilitate contacts between government leaders, business people and analysts that would lead to the development of better public policy in the fields of international relations and international security."

"The International Peace Bureau (IPB) is an international non-governmental peace organisation. It exists to serve the cause of peace by the promotion of General and Complete Disarmament; the non-violent solution of conflicts; and international cooperation. Members of the IPB commit themselves to working together as a network; to sharing ideas, information and resources; and to the creation of joint projects."

"The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the nonproliferation of weapons and technologies of mass destruction. Founded in 1992 by International Agreement by the European Union, Japan, Russian Federation, and the United States of America, the ISTC coordinates the efforts of numerous governments, international organizations, and private sector industries, providing weapons scientists from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States new opportunities to redirect their talents towards peaceful scientific research."

Interpol "facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities, and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime." Directly resulting from "a grant of nearly one million dollars from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Secretary General Ronald K. Noble has been able to create a dedicated unit at the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France. This unit will develop a programme to build national and international capacity to counter the threat of bioterrorism. This bioterrorism programme will: raise awareness of the threat; develop police training programmes; strengthen efforts to enforce existing legislation; promote the development of new legislation; [and,] encourage inter-agency co-operation on bioterrorism."

The Landau Network-Centro Volta (LNCV) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization based in Como (Italy) and operating as a global network of international experts supporting global security, disarmament and cooperation. One of its main programs is dedicated to issues of biosecurity, biological weapons (BW) proliferation and potential misuse of life sciences. The group sponsors and organizes a variety of high-profile conferences and workshops, conducts research projects and issues reports on these areas. The LNCV is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission, the Italian Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente (ENEA), the Lombardy Region, the Municipality of Como and by Italian, and European and American Foundations on a project basis.

"The Moroccan Biosafety Association (MOBSA) was created in October 2009 by a group of scientists concerned with disseminating information about the spectrum of Biological Risks and the impact on public health, animals, agriculture, plants and the environment... Attentive to the risks arising from laboratory and industrial activities, transport and release to the environment of dangerous wastes and other activities involving the health and agricultural sectors, target issues of MOBSA, our association aims at defining Biosafety as a multidisciplinary scientific field. ... It will seek to advise and support the government on the implementation of new legislation and standards in areas related to biological safety and biosecurity, on the implementation of the BTWC recommendations, on biotechnology and associated activities."

"The NATO Programme for Security Through Science offers support for international collaboration between scientists of the countries of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council or the Mediterranean Dialogue. Awards are made following consideration of applications received from individual scientists in these countries. The aim of the Security Through Science programme is to contribute to security, stability and solidarity among nations by applying cutting-edge science to problem solving. Research topics supported are in areas of Defence Against Terrorism, or Countering Other Threats to Security; partner-country priorities are also taken into account."

"The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a unique forum where the governments of 30 market democracies come together to address the economic, social and governance challenges of the globalising world economy, as well as to exploit its opportunities. The Organisation has been actively involved in biotechnology for more than 20 years." Created by the International Futures Program of the OECD, this site "is dedicated to providing an active resource of global information on oversight mechanisms - particularly codes-of-conduct for the biosciences research community – to help advance these efforts and promote responsible oversight of the biosciences."

"The Academy's mission is to ensure the quality of scientific research in the Netherlands. The main functions of the Academy include: advising the government on matters related to scientific research; assessing the quality of scientific research (peer review); providing a forum for the scientific world and promoting international scientific cooperation; and acting as an umbrella organisation for the institutes primarily engaged in basic and strategic scientific research and disseminating information." This Academy and other national academies of sciences around the world endorse the InterAcademy Panel Statement on Biosecurity.

"Pursuing excellence in science by encouraging and supporting the best individual scientists to practise and communicate, and by providing the highest quality independent scientific advice" is the mission of the Royal Society. "How to reduce the threat from biological weapons has been of longstanding importance to the Royal Society, and recent global events have caused it to rise on the list of both public and Government priorities. Information on a range of issues associated with biological weapons, including the role that science and scientists play, international agreements, providing countermeasures and tools for monitoring" is available here."

The Russian American Nuclear Security Advisory Council (RANSAC) has been renamed the Partnership for Global Security. Click the above link to see the new entry.

"The principal mission of the Russian BW Monitor is to make a critical contribution to global security by reducing the threat posed by biological weapons proliferation in the Former Soviet Union. The Russian BW Monitor seeks to disseminate independent news and analysis relating to historical biological weapons programmes and associated international threat reduction initiatives in the Former Soviet Union. Access will be provided to a range of primary source material which has been accumulated by Monitor researchers in the past two decades. This includes the provision of extended summaries of historical documents relating to civil and military biopharmaceutical programmes, sourced from the Russian archives."

"The Security and Defence Agenda (SDA) has established itself as the only regular forum in Brussels where NATO and the EU, industries and academia, political figures and journalists gather to discuss the future of European and transatlantic defence policies. The SDA also serves as a networking centre of defence-related think tanks around Europe."

"The objectives of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's research are: to promote transparency in security and arms control; to contribute to conflict prevention and resolution; [and] to disseminate information to the broader public." Its "CBW Project studies developments relating to actual, alleged or potential uses of chemical and biological methods of warfare and the associated weapons and technologies...The aim of the project is to advance efforts to establish and maintain effective and fair measures to prevent the hostile use of biological and chemical technologies, whether by states or by terrorist and criminal organizations."

"The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) - as a chief supporter of the UN and its mission - has launched an initiative with a number of partners worldwide, United Nations and Global Security," that aims both to support fresh intellectual contributions to the dialogue surrounding the challenges facing the UN and to enlarge the circles of informed citizens who actively follow and contribute to that debate."

"The Office [for Disarmament Affairs] promotes the goal of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and the strengthening of the disarmament regimes in respect to other weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological weapons. It also promotes disarmament efforts in the area of conventional weapons, especially land mines and small arms, which are the weapons of choice in contemporary conflicts." The site also includes the resource "Status of Multilateral Arms Regulation and Disarmament Agreements," which contains the text and current status of significant treaties.

"The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) - an inter-governmental organization within the United Nations - conducts research on disarmament and security with the aim of assisting the international community in their disarmament thinking, decisions and efforts...The Institute's activities encompass diverse realities - from the intricacy of global diplomacy to local entrenched tensions and violent conflicts. UNIDIR explores both current and future security issues, examining topics as varied as tactical nuclear weapons, refugee security, computer warfare, regional confidence-building measures, and small arms."

The Bradford Disarmament Research Centre is within the University of Bradford ’s Department of Peace Studies. “Following an initiative by the Society of Friends the Department of Peace Studies was established in 1973 and it has grown to become arguably the leading academic centre for the study of peace and conflict in the world. It has an international reputation for research excellence and was awarded a maximum score in the most recent national audit of its teaching quality."

"This web site aims to provide resources for those considering the place, purpose and prospects of codes of conduct. It includes a chronology of past discussions about codes for bioscientists, notice of relevant events, publications and references information, and links to key organizations. It has been established as part of a research project undertaken by Brian Rappert (University of Exeter) and Malcolm Dando (University of Bradford) funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council New Security Challenges Programme entitled 'Coding Research: Biological Weapons, Security & the Silencing of Science'."

"The Centre was founded in the Summer of 2003 at the University of Hamburg. The aim is to contribute, through innovative research and outreach activities, to the universal prevention of biological weapon development, production and use. The development of new verification strategies and concepts is the core research area of the Study Group."

"VERTIC is an independent, non-profit making, non-governmental organization. Its mission is to promote effective and efficient verification as a means of ensuring confidence in the implementation of international agreements and intra-national agreements with international involvement." VERTIC's Arms Control and Disarmament Program "deals with the monitoring and verification of international treaties on nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear disarmament, nuclear testing, chemical and biological weapons and conventional weaponry, including the performance of the relevant international verification organizations."

"The WFCC is a Multidisciplinary Commission of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and a Federation within the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). The WFCC is concerned with the collection, authentication, maintenance and distribution of cultures of microorganisms and cultured cells. Its aim is to promote and support the establishment of culture collections and related services, to provide liaison and set up an information network between the collections and their users, to organise workshops and conferences, publications and newsletters and work to ensure the long term perpetuation of important collections."

"The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The vision of WHO is that "every country should be able to detect, verify rapidly and respond appropriately to epidemic-prone and emerging disease threats when they arise to minimize their impact on the health and economy of the world's population."