PROJECT 081: BIOSEC - Enhanced Biosecurity in South-East Asia

Context

Global infectious disease outbreaks are of increasing concern for the international community. Reactive surveillance systems with rapid detection capacities, close coordination between human and animal health authorities and efficient reporting to other key sectors are required to ensure a rapid and effective response. Also, the potential unauthorised acquisition, theft, transfer or intentional misuse of high-risk biological materials, especially pathogens, pests and biological toxins with dual-use possibilities, whether in relation to illicit trafficking, bioterrorism or agroterrorism need to be quickly tackled in the region.

Overall objective

The aim of BIOSEC is to provide a set of recommendations for improving biosecurity management system in South-East Asia with effective tools to enhance capabilities to respond to highly communicable diseases or global catastrophic biological events, such as pandemics.

Specific objectives

1. Raising awareness on biosecurity and biosecurity risk management, crosscutting biological risks and dual-use high-risk biological materials;
2. Reviewing and contributing to the effective enforcement of national legislations and guidelines in compliance with relevant international obligations in the area of biosecurity;
3. Stronger and more effective border control for detecting biological threats agents and improved regulatory controls covering the acquisition, use, storage and transfer of high-risk biological materials;
4. Improved biological material control and accountability at high-risk biological laboratories;
5. Improved lab-based capacity to detect and identify the type and source of disease-causing agents;
6. Enhanced security framework mechanisms for ensuring physical security and information security related to high-risk biological material facilities for human, animal and plant health;
7. Establishment of a workable framework for secure information exchange about biosecurity threats for human, animal and plant health.

Activities

1. Workshops in all partner countries covering the issues mentioned above and specific suggestions for improved biosecurity;
2. Establishment of a related working group in each partner country;
3. Capacity building exercises and the training of national trainers in each partner country;
4. Building national inventories of high-risk biological materials, dual-use research and technologies and information;
5. The creation of a regional network of biological forensics experts and forensics institutions;
6. Regional training and national laboratory-based training in each partner country.

Achievements

The project is ongoing.