National SeriesLecture 1

IntroductionLibya

Bradford Disarmament Research CentreDivision of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, UK

Picture Image Transparent Globe by digitalart - from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Outline

1. Where we are in the early 21st century

2. Outline of the following lectures

a) What we should know (learning outcome)

b) What we can do (policy contribution)

Picture Image: Golden World In Hands by jscreationzs- from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

What is “Life Science”?

• “Any field of science that is leading to or has the potential to lead to an enhanced understanding of living organisms, especially human life.”

• E.g. Biology, proteomics, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, aerosol technology, chemistry and mathematics

(National Research Council, 2006: 27)

• Applied in:Public health, Medicine, Agriculture, Energy, Environment and National security studies

Biotechnology: An integral part of national strategy in the 21st Century

Region Annual Worth Share

North America $204 Billion 51%

Europe $102 Billion 25%

Japan $47 Billion 12%

Asia, Africa, Australia $32 Billion 8%

Latin America $17 Billion 4%

A growing market in Biotechnology: the pharmaceutical market (National Research Council, 2006: 85)

• Similar results in number of researchers and the amount of private investment for R&D in the life sciences

• Rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East

(Ernst&Young 2011, Frost&Sullivan 2010)

Libya: Science outlook

• “Libya is still in the first phase of biotechnology development. Existing activities are on improved crop and animal organisms using conventional methods of breeding. Research in the field of modern biotechnology (especially at the DNA level) is limited to institutional activities by researchers and graduate students.

• Biotechnology applications in Libya started only at the end of the nineties the public sector has not been able during the past three decades to carry out its role in the introduction and application of modern biotechnology”

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

Libya: Science outlook

• “Individual initiatives in certain research centers such as the Center for Industrial Research, Center for Agricultural Research, and some colleges of the universities of Elfatih and Gar younis, failed to establish a strong foundation for the advancement in this new area of modern biotechnology.

• The private sector had not been present and demonstrated its inability to 5 accommodate various areas of traditional and modern Biotechnology. This might be due to the lack of full understanding of this type of technologies and the lack of desire to invest in areas by the private sector.”

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

Libya: Science outlook

• “The establishment of the Research Centre for Biotechnology in 2000 was the starting point for the transfer and adoption of modern Biotechnology in Libya. This was subsequently followed by the emergence of related activities gradually in other Research Centers and Universities.

• This led to the state recognition of the importance of modern Biotechnology in various sectors of the economy especially with regard to food security, medicine, but the safety measures and the risk assessment mechanisms are still at a very modest level.”

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

Libya: Science outlook

The Libyan Funds-in-Trust is a self-funding activity implemented with funds provided by the Government of the Libyan Arab Jamahirya for the establishment of a Libyan Cell and Molecular Biology Centre.

Main objectives of the project are:

• Capacity-building: strengthening of training and research in contemporary cell and molecular biology in Libya through linkage with other networks of selected existing institutions and specialized international bodies such as the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB);

• Organization of training courses; • Exchange of personnel, fellowships, expert services and research teams; • Acquisition of equipment as support facilities and exchange of information.

(UNESCO 2012)

Libya: Setting National Priorities in BiotechNational priorities for the use of modern biotechnology include:

• Capacity building to provide technically skilled human resources in the field of modern biotechnology.

• Development of policies and programs for modern biotechnology and its safe applications in the fields of agriculture, health and environmental protection.

• Enactment of laws, regulations and legislation related to the use of biotechnology. • Cooperation with international and global organizations such as UNEP, UNESCO

and FAO to develop training programmers in the field of cells and molecular biology and improvement of plant production and protection of the environment.

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

Libya: Bioethics and Biosafety

National Standing Committee for Biological Ethics and Biosafety

The committee is entrusted with the following tasks: • Rating, follow-up and documentation of scientific research and equipments

used in Biotechnology research and direct it into peaceful areas. • Follow-up research in the area of bioethics of cloning and proposal of laws

and principles to regulate it. • Defend the point of view of the Great Jamahiriya with respect to the ethics of

the scientific research on cloning in the local and international scientific forums.

• Spreading of awareness in the area of research ethics in the scientific side of cloning, and the preparation and documentation programmes on research ethics.

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

PubMed search with “Libya”

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Key word hits in Publication data base

Numbers

Libya:Promoting Medical IndustryPublic Company for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies

• The Company was established for the purpose of medicines production in addition to supplies of different forms of pharmaceutical and medical supplies as well as different kinds of products which may cover commodities needed for public health in the Jamahiriya market and also for export of large quantities.

• The company has restrictions for dealing with dangerous microorganisms and very seriously focused on what was in the Libyan legislation especially with respect to health care and medical insurance, according to the laws and resolutions in force.

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

Libya: Major Universities in Biotech

• University of Elfatih: There are some activities related to biotechnology in some colleges such as the College of Science, agriculture, pharmacy, veterinary medicine. These colleges teach biotechnology related courses such as microbiology, immunology, genetics and molecular biology, and aquaculture.

• University of Omar Mukhtar: The research unit of biotechnology conducts Microbiology research in fungi fingerprinting protein, as a Master's degree for postgraduate students. The study have been confirmed and adopted as a new method in fungi taxonomy.

• University of Sabha: Biotechnology research was is done at the Faculty of Sciences and work is focused on DNA isolation from organelles (such as Mitochondria)

(Environment General Authority Libya, 2008)

Why do we care? Should this be an issue for us?

The dual-use nature of science and technology:

– “Every major technology — metallurgy, explosives, internal combustion, aviation, electronics, nuclear energy — has been intensively exploited, not only for peaceful purposes but also for hostile ones.”

– “…Must this also happen with biotechnology, certain to be a dominant technology of the twenty-first century?”

Matthew Meselson: Professor of Molecular Biology at Harvard University

(Meselson, 2000: 16)

Hostile

Peacefu

l

Meselson’s Forecast in 2000

Ability• “Our ability to modify fundamental life processes

continues its rapid advance”

• “We will be able not only to devise additional ways to destroy life but will also become able to manipulate it”

Dilemma• “…[This has a] Vast potential for beneficial application

and could have inimical consequences for the course of civilization.”

Meselson’s Forecast in 2000

“At present, we appear to be approaching a crossroads —a time that will test whether biotechnology…”

• Will come to be intensively exploited for hostile purposes, or• Our species will find the collective wisdom to take a different course.

Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)

1972

Article I • “Each State Party to this Convention undertakes never in any

circumstances to develop, produce, stockpile or otherwise acquire or retain:

• 1. Microbial or other biological agents or toxins whatever their origin or method of production, of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes.”

• This applies not only to states but also to non-state actors

Science and Security: Dual-Use

The need for a broader conceptualisation of dual-use• Biological agents and toxins can be used for hostile purposes without

weaponization and technology is typically diffused globally for peaceful purposes

• Hostile use can take the form of criminal acts or terrorist acts (non-state level) in parallel to military application (state level),

• The BTWC prohibits the misuse of the life sciences by both states and non-state actors

Dual-use: broader concept Peaceful Non-peaceful

Dual-use: traditional conceptMilitary Civilian

Libya and international regimes

WMD• In 2003, then Libyan dictator Col. Muammar Qadhafi renounced all of his

regime's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, after more than three decades of extensive efforts to develop nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their delivery systems. agreeing to disclose and dismantle all WMD programs in 2003, Qadhafi's government cooperated with American and British experts to do so, with dismantlement of the nuclear program completed and verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2004.

BTWC• Accession (19 Jan 1982)

• “Tripoli's BW efforts remained limited in size and never progressed beyond the research and development stages; according to one Libyan official, they never even progressed beyond the planning stages. Following Libya's renunciation of WMD in 2003, U.S. and UK inspectors found no evidence indicating an offensive biological weapons program.

(Nuclear Threat Initiative 2012)

Libya and international regimes

CWC• Accession (1 June 2004); Entry into force (2 May 2004)

• Libya no longer possesses an offensive chemical weapons program, but prior to renunciation of its WMD programs, Tripoli possessed a moderately capable chemical weapons arsenal. In the 1980s, Libya constructed three chemical weapons research, development, and production facilities at Rabta, Tarhuna, and Sebha.

• Libya became a party to the CWC in February 2004 and submitted a report to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in which it declared 23 metric tons of mustard agent and 1,300 metric tons of nerve agent precursor chemicals — an inventory miniscule in size compared with prevailing public U.S. intelligence assessments.

(Nuclear Threat Initiative 2012)

National Series: Lecture Outline

2. Biosecurity Threats 3. The Web of Prevention

4. National Measures5. Responsibility of Scientists

Picture Image: Transparent Globe by digitalart - from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

• ‘No single focal point’ of threats– Potential actors, material and information, which can be related to dual-

use issues, exist at international, regional, national, local and individual levels.

Unpredictable future of the life sciences

Reviewing threats (Lecture 2)

Manmade threats: warfare, crime and terrorism

Safety/accidental risks at laboratories

Natural outbreaks of infectious disease

To address natural outbreaks of infectious disease• Public health preparedness and response planning

To address safety/accidental risks• Laboratory regulations to safely manage dangerous pathogens and toxins, to

prevent an accidental release into the environment and unauthorized access

To address manmade threats• Strong international arms control agreements with effective national

implementation • Internationally coordinated export controls • Intelligence• Biodefense

To address the unpredictable future of the life sciences• Oversight: Review of security-sensitive science and technology developments• Responsible conduct in research through education

The Web of Prevention (WoP) (Lecture 3)

Web of prevention

Public health measures

Laboratory measures

International prohibition

regime

Export control

Intelligence

Biodefense

Oversight and review of Sci-Tech

Responsible conduct

Natural threats

Safety risks

Governance of science

Manmade threats

National implementation (Lecture 4)

To National Context

National implementation (Lecture 4)

1• International agreements

2• Signature and ratification by states

3

• National measures in states• Legislation, regulation, order or other forms

of governance

Worldwide engagement of life scientists with the WoP will:

• Effectively strengthen biosecurity measures by requiring the engagement of practicing scientists

• Prevent unnecessary restriction of scientific freedoms

• Education of, and capacity building among, scientists on biosecurity issues is necessary for successful security

• Uninformed scientists = no effective science policy inputs to the WoP

Engagement of informed life scientists about biosecurity issues is key to successful security

The need for responsible conduct in research(Lecture 5)

Biosecurity: Definition issues

The term “biosecurity” has been conceptualised differently across various scientific and professional disciplines

• Areas: The term has been used in ecology, agriculture, food supply, arms control and public health contexts, with different meanings and conceptualisations

• Policy processes: these overlap with interdisciplinary areas such as biosafety, counter-terrorism, agricultural biosecurity and biodiversity

• Linguistic: In addition to these conceptual complications, “biosecurity” has also experienced linguistic complications

(Fidler and Gostin 2007, Sunshine Project 2003, Barletta 2002)

National Series:WoP = Biosecurity Education = Biosecurity Competency

References

• The references cited in this lecture are viewable in the Notes section of this presentation.