Invited Speakers:
Helmut Bachmayer, Cooporate Biosafety, Novartis, Member of the WP Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation
Biotechnology,
Rudolf Bliem, Lecturer, Tarac Consulting, Plankenbüchlerg. 12/3, A-1210 Wien Consultant for the Bioindustries specializing
on FDA and European approvals
Malcolm Dando, BSc PhD St And, Professor of International Security, Department of Peace Studies, University of
Bradford,Bradford BDI 7DP, West Yorkshire, England, Email: m.r.dando@bradford.ac.uk, Areas of Research: Arms control
and disarmament, Biological and Chemical Weapons, Non-lethal Weapons (Psychochemicals), Global Prohibition Regimes
(Outside of Arms Control), International Power/International Organisations
Otto Doblhoff-Dier, Chairman WP Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation Biotechnology, Inst. for Applied
Microbiology, Univ. Agric. Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Willy Kempel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austria, Head of Austrian delegation at the Geneva
Graham S. Pearson, Visiting Professor of International Security, University of Bradford, former Director General and Chief
Executive of the UK Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down, Salisbury.
Jonathan Y. Richmond, Director, Office of Health and Safety, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton
Road, Mailstop FO5, Atlanta, GA 30333; telephone (404) 639-2453.
Brad Roberts, of IDA in the US, Editor of the book "Biological Weapons: Weapons of the Future"
Julian Perry Robinson, Director Havard Sussex Program on CBW Armament and Arms Limitation, Science Policy
Research Unit, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9FR, UK)
Christian Seelos, Christian Seelos, Adviser to the Special Commission, UN, NewYork and University Vienna, Austria
Tibor Toth, Chairman Ad Hoc Groupof the States Parties to the BTWC, Hungary
Howard Tranter, Centre for Applied Microbiology Research CAMR, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG, United
Kingdom, Telephone: +44-1980-612100, Fax: +44-1980-611096
P J Van der Meer, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Netherlands
Program:
The current negotiations in Geneva to develop a legally binding instrument to strengthen the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention are likely to result in an international declaration and inspection regime. This regime will have implications for both academic, industrial and biotechnology research and development and production sites with a special focus on those handling dangerous human, animal and plant pathogens. This conference will provide an international information and discussion platform on the current state of the negotiations and their potential implications for biotechnology operations.
The program will include:
. Introduction to the BTWC
. Current status of negotiations to strengthen the BTWC
. Implications for industrial R&D and production and academic R&D .
Compatibility with other existing guidelines(international and national) . Technical aspects - Safety and security - Tutorial: Biosafety information on the Internet
Who should attend:
. Managing directors and heads of biotechnology operations
. Regulatory affairs and biosafety managers of biotechnology industries and R&D . Institutions involved in the current negotiations to strengthen the BTWC . Involved international and national authorities
08:30 - 10:00 Registration
10:00-10:15 Opening Ceremony
10:15 - 10:45 Biological and toxin weapons: Introduction and
overviewDr. Brad Roberts, Institute for Defense Analyses,
Washington,DC, USA ( Editor, "Biological Weapons: Weapons of the
Future")
10:45 - 11:15 The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention- A historic
and political perspective Willy Kempel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Austria
11:15 - 11:45 UNSCOM : Lessons for Biological Arms Control arising
from the experience of the UN Special Commission on Iraq
(UNSCOM)Christian Seelos, Adviser to the Special Commission, UN,
NewYork, University Vienna, Austria
11:45 - 12:15 The current status of the Geneva negotiations on the
protocol to strengthen the BTWC Tibor Toth, Chairman Ad Hoc Groupof
the States Parties to the BTWC, Hungary
12:15 - 14:00 Lunch and Tutorial: Biosafety information on the
Internet
14:00 - 14:30 The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) verification
regime: Implications for BiotechnologyJulian Perry Robinson, Director
Havard Sussex Program on CBW Armament and Arms Limitation, Science
Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex
14:30 - 15:15 The likely practical aspects of the strengthened BWTC
protocolGraham S. Pearson, Visiting Professor of International
Security, University of Bradford, former Director General and Chief
Executive of the UK Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at
Porton Down
15:15 - 15:45 Coffee Break
15:45 - 16:30 Plenary Discussion - Introductory Statements
Implications for biotechnologyMalcolm Dando, Professor of
International Security,Department of Peace Studies, University of
Bradford, UK
Implications for academic R&DO. Doblhoff-Dier, Chairman WP Safety in
Biotechnology of the European Federation Biotechnology, Inst. for
Applied Microbiology, Univ. Agric. Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Implications for industrial operationsH. Bachmayer, Cooporate
Biosafety, Novartis
16: 30 - 17:00 Plenary discussion
Additional panel members:Johannes Rath, University Vienna, UNSCOM
Chief Inspector
20:00 - Conference Dinner
FRIDAY
09:00 - 09:30 Comparison of the strenthened BTWC protocol with other
regulatory systemsRudolf Bliem, Tarac Consulting, Consultant for the
Bioindustries specializing on FDA and European approvals
09:30 - 10:00 The EC Biosafety RegulationsNN., European Commission,
Brussels
10:00 - 10:30 The US Biological Safety and Requirements for Facilities
Transferring or Receiving Select Agents Dr. Jonathan Y. Richmond,
Director, Office of Health and Safety, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention,
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 - 11:30 The Biosafety Regulations in the Russian Federation
11:30 - 12:00 The Convention on Biological Diversity: Possible
implications of the International Biosafety / Advance Informed
Agreement ProtocolMr P J Van der Meer, Ministry of Housing, Spatial
Planning and the Environment, The Netherlands
12:00 - 13:45 Lunch and Tutorial: Biosafety information on the
Internet
13:45 -14:30 Biotechnology Controls: What are the technical
requirements? Protective equipment and containment validation,
documentation, storage and access control, identification of pathogens
and pathogenic characteristicsHoward Tranter, CAMR, UK
14:30 - 15:00 Maintaining awareness of developments in
biosafetyregulations and controlsO. Doblhoff
15:00 - 15:45 Closing Statement and Discussion:International
harmonisation of biosafety protocols
Registration :
Conference fee:
2000.- Austrian Schilling before 1. March 1998
2700.- Austrian Schilling after 1. March
The conference fee includes entry to all symposium sessions lunches, the conference
dinner and coffee breaks. To keep the conference fee within reasonable limits hotel
costs are not included
Conference and hotel registration:
Come In Congress-Meeting-Incentive Organisation
Gabriele Prohazka
Alser Straße 32/3
A-1090 Wien
Tel: +43 1 402 4714 12
Fax: +43 1 402 4714 14
e.mail: come-in@magnet.at
Deadline for Abstracts: invited lectures only
Email for Requests and Registration: come-in@magnet.at