The 1st Consultative Meeting on the Development of ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Biosafety and Biosecurity

Dr. AthiwatPrimsirikunawut, Director of the Division of International Collaboration as Head of the Thai delegation, along with representatives from the National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, and the Office of International Cooperation, Department of Disease Control, attended the 1st Consultative Meeting on the Development of ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Biosafety and Biosecurity (การพัฒนาปฏิญญาผู้นำอาเซียนว่าด้วยความปลอดภัยและความมั่นคงทางชีวภาพ) from February 6th to 7th, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The meeting included representatives from 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS), namely Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as well as representatives from international cooperation organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Weapons Threat Reduction Program/Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA). The objective of the consultation meeting was to comprehensively grasp and collect input from AMS and relevant stakeholders in the region regarding the requirements, gaps, and challenges in advancing biosafety and biosecurity measures. All inputs will be considered for the development of the Leaders’ Declaration that aims is to bolster both regional and national preparedness and response capabilities against biological threats and pandemics.

Dr. AthiwatPrimsirikunawut presented information on safety and biosecurity in Thailand, covering topics such as biological risk assessment and management, legal/regulatory framework, training and capacity building of personnel, incident response and emergency preparedness, network creation and international cooperation, and the challenges faced by the country along with its future plans. Additionally, he participated in providing input to improve the zero draft of the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Biosafety and Biosecurity, with the overarching goal of enhancing health security in the region and safeguarding the populations of AMS from future biological threats.