Workshop Biosecurity - Awareness Raising Efforts in an ASEAN Regional Perspective
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The aim of the workshop was:
- raising awareness for biosecurity issues in relevant institutions, academies of science and industries in the ASEAN states as well as in the relevant policy departments;
- presenting methods and experience for education and awareness raising on biosecurity;
- bringing together involved parties from science, industry and government to discuss the necessity and/or possibility of organizing further activities regarding biosecurity in ASEAN states.
The workshop took place in the context of the 9th ASEAN Science and Technology Week (18-27 August 2014, Bogor, Indonesia). In addition to some SEA-EU-NET funds, the event was also supported by RISTEK, the US State Department, KNAW and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has become an official agenda point of the recently established Network of ASEAN Science Academies (NET-ASA), too.
About 40 participants from mainly the ASEAN region, but also from Europe, the US and Australia took part in the event. After the welcoming speech by Prof. Sangkot Marzuki (President of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences) and dr. Rudie Trienes (KNAW and SEA-EU-NET) biosecurity experts from the Netherlands, Australia, the US and ASEAN countries spoke about existing and planned Codes of Conducts, the role of education and awareness raising for responsible science. During the discussion participants agreed on the importance of these soft methods in the prevention of dual use of research results. The event served as a networking forum between countries with existing methods, regulations and funds as well as countries with a need and interest in these methods and in funding possibilities.
