Islamabad, December 04, 2023, The Europe Today: The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in collaboration with the COMSTECH – Committee on Science and Technology of the OIC,organized an International seminar titled “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Biosafety and Biosecurity Regimes,” which was attended by representatives from expert circles in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Nigeria, Uganda, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, USA, among others.
The seminar focused on the Kazakh initiative announced by President K. Tokayev during the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, aiming to create an International Biosafety Agency (IABS) which was announced on September 20 of this year.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Kazakhstan and the biosafety and biosecurity department of the National Scientific Center for Particularly Dangerous Infections (named after Masgut Aikimbaev of Ministry of Health of Republic of Kazakhstan) attended the event from the Kazakh side.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, and General Coordinator of COMSTECH, Professor Dr. Iqbal Choudhary, delivered welcoming remarks.
Over the two-day Seminar, discussions covered the implementation of existing conventions, treaties, and agreements, highlighted shortcomings at national and international levels, addressed conflicts in the international legal framework, and emphasized the necessity of international cooperation to develop biological risk management programs and reforms in this area.
As a result of the Seminar, participants adopted recommendations advocating for the establishment of an International Biosafety Agency to mitigate existing threats and risks in the global biosafety and biosecurity field.
The Embassy expresses gratitude to General Coordinator Professor Dr. Iqbal Choudhary and his team for their valuable assistance and excellent organization of the event.
