ISSN 2410-7751 (Print)
ISSN 2410-776X (Online)
"Biotechnologia Acta" v. 6, no. 4, 2013
doi: 10.15407/biotech6.04.172
Р. 172-181, Bibliography 18, English
Universal Decimal classification: 608.3+623.458
THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING SOUND SCIENTIFIC ADVICE TO POLICY MAKERS IN GOVERNMENT
Visiting Professor of International Security Division of Peace Studies University of Bradford
BRADFORD, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP
UNITED KINGDOM
The article gives an idea of the scope of professional activity of scientists working in the field of biosafety in terms of providing timely and effective advice for politicians and diplomats in the government. It should be acknowledged that politicians and diplomats are also involved in a varying degree with biosafety issues such as toxicological and biological weapons, formulated in the relevant Convention: Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. However taking into account their professional interests, they mightn’t have appropriate information on relevant events in these and other activities. The value of these activities of qualified scientists knowing the latest information in the field of biosafety is difficult to overestimate, as they have the possibility to analyze any situation on the range of relevant activities and use their knowledge to make informed proposals which could be acceptable for their co-worker scientists in other areas of biological science. For highly qualified scientists such activities appeared to be effective, it is a vital aspect of their professional activity, because such scientists are able to provide scientific advice, analyze and summarize relevant scientific aspects on a specific topic of interest for politicians and diplomats. Such an analysis should include identification of key elements that are relevant to a given scientific problem and should be formulated so as the consequences of the various elements of the Convention were clearly appreciated and understood by politicians and diplomats. In other words, the rele vant scientific aspects should be analyzed, summarized and presented in the context of the Convention, together with suggestions on what steps in this direction should be taken by politicians and diplomats.
Key words: Convention on biological and toxicological arms, recommendation of scientists, biosafety.
© Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 2008
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