UN's Annan Calls for Oversight of Biotech
Posted by Jesse Reynolds November 21, 2006
Biopolitical Times
Kofi Annan's statements over the weekend are a welcome call for oversight of biotechnology. Although the UN Secretary General was speaking primarily about the challenges posed by bioweapons and bioterrorism, much of his comments could apply to a wide range of emerging biotechnologies:
Annan focuses on distinct potential dangerous incidents , e.g. terrorists acquiring a bioweapon, or an accident infecting thousands of people:
We lack an international system of safeguards to manage those risks. Scientists may do their best to follow rules for responsible conduct of research. But efforts to harmonize these rules on a global level are outpaced by the galloping advance of science itself....He's right: the world is at a threshold: How will societies manage biotechnologies to reap their potential benefits while avoiding their pitfalls?
We find ourselves at a point akin to the one in the 1950s, when far-sighted citizens, scientists, diplomats and international civil servants recognised the enormous potential impact of nuclear power...
Annan focuses on distinct potential dangerous incidents , e.g. terrorists acquiring a bioweapon, or an accident infecting thousands of people:
As biological research expands, and technologies become increasingly accessible, this potential for accidental or intentional harm grows exponentially....But there's also the scenarios resulting from the aggregate result of numerous actions by well-intentioned individuals - scenarios that could be equally terrible. For example, commercially available human genetic enhancement in our competitive world could lead to a biotech rat race, with those who can best access the enhancements - the wealthy - coming out further ahead. It's an unpleasant scenario, and one that would not be result of nefarious intent or an accident or even a single incident.
In the right hands and with the appropriate safety precautions, [medical research programs] are sound scientific endeavours that increase our knowledge of viruses. But if they fall into the wrong hands, they could be catastrophic.
