Biosafety, biosecurity and internationally mandated regulatory regimes: compliance mechanisms for education and global health security

Abstract

This paper highlights the biosafety and biosecurity training obligations that three international regulatory regimes place upon states parties. The duty to report upon the existence of such provisions as evidence of compliance is discussed in relation to each regime. We argue that such mechanisms can be regarded as building blocks for the development and delivery of complementary biosafety and biosecurity teaching and training materials. We show that such building blocks represent foundations upon which life and associated scientists – through greater awareness of biosecurity concerns – can better fulfil their responsibilities to guard their work from misuse in the future.