Proceedings of the Dual Use Research of Concern Panel Discussion: challenges and perspectives

Abstract

To address real and perceived emerging risks originating from the ever-accelerating breakthroughs in life science research, the Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) Panel Discussion, organized by Synbio Canada and the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), took place on June 23rd, 2021. It brought together six stakeholders from different levels of academic research, administration, governance, and science publishing to explore the current and future challenges of addressing DURC. The technological advancements within the life sciences, especially within the field of omics technology, make it difficult to apply simple checklist for Dual Use assessment and require a continuous and integrated effort. Bottom-up approaches from within the scientific community are suggested by all stakeholders to enable efficient governance and address the true risks resulting from DURC, not just the alleged risks. To address such alleged risks, open and broadscale communication of DURC and its oversight policies may be required. At the same time, any form of open communication also contains the risk of information hazard, defined as potentially creating public fear or informing malicious actors. Here, an overview of the DURC panel and its outcomes is given.

Comparative Analysis of EU Export Control Regulations of Dual-Use Item

“…Regardless of whether they constitute EU goods or not, the items listed in Annex 1 shall comply with the licensing requirements specified in the Regulation when transferring from EU territory to outside EU. [4] In addition, when dual-use items not listed in Annex 1 are used for chemical, biological weapons, nuclear weapons, military, terrorism, human rights violations and other purposes, Member States may increase licensing requirements for items not listed in Annex 1 according to the specific circumstances of the transaction.…”