'Oversight of biological research activities enhanced'

Ambassador Masood Khan has said that Pakistan has enhanced oversight of biological research activities through a three-tier system of National Biosafety, Technical Advisory and Institutional Biosafety Committees.
"We have established an implementation system for the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) under Pakistan Biosafety Rules 2005 and National Biosafety Guidelines 2005", Ambassador Khan said in his keynote address at a Biosafety and Biosecurity International Conference (BBIC) being organised by Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Jordan from September 12-15.
He pointed out that a bio-ethics committee under Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC) is an advisory body dealing with all the aspects of bio-ethics in the health sector. Research projects involving human subjects, including the use of fetal material, embryos and tissues, wherever undertaken, are previewed by the Research Ethics Committee (REC). The guidelines on the "Code of Conduct for the Life Sciences" were issued in 2010 to the relevant stakeholders for implementation and compliance.
This policy and implementation framework, Ambassador Khan said provides very important horizontal and vertical channels of communication. They help to ensure that the views and experiences of those responsible for safety and security at an institutional level are fed into the relevant national, regional and international processes. As we move forward, they will be increasingly important partners, he added.
Ambassador Khan who has past roles as President of the Sixth Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in 2006, as well as Chair of its annual meetings in 2007, appreciated, Princess Sumaya bin El Hassan, Prince Hassan bin Talal and the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan for supporting this conference, Ambassador Khan said that Princess Sumaya bin El Hassan, has a close personal interest in the sources of the BBIC process.
He appreciated Terence Taylor, the President of the International Council for the Life Sciences, for continuing to involve him in the ongoing efforts of the BBIC process. "His strong commitment and tenacity of purpose, I remain confident, will continue to open new avenues for dialogue between governments, industry and scientists in the areas of biotechnology and the life sciences", he added.
The impact of the BBIC can be felt far beyond the borders of this region, Khan said adding, "your efforts already have an international impact." Dr Anwar Naseem, Khan said continues as a member of the BBIC Steering Committee and spearheads the work in Pakistan. He said that key international players from the health, safety and security communities are attending this all important meeting, providing an opportunity to discuss issues of shared interest is no small feat.
"I am sure that the international impact of the BBIC has yet to reach its peak. If your approach continues can continue to yield successes in a region with so many sensitivities, then the practices and initiatives that you are developing here may be replicated in other parts of the world" Khan observed.
Ambassador Khan endorsed the fundamental objective of this conference to foster networks that build capacity through cross-border collaborations on technical and policy issues. Such an approach, he said will help us all to address this complicated issue in a more systematic manner, he concluded.