FAQ: How do I address biosecurity and biosafety in my national legislation if the national language of my country does not differentiate between those terms?
Many languages only have a single word to translate the dual concepts of biosecurity and biosafety. Nevertheless, the ideas behind the dual concepts are clear and their incorporation into national legislation or regulations should not pose a major obstacle.
Biosafety and biosecurity are usually addressed by legislative and regulatory measures dealing, inter alia, with infectious diseases, public health, occupational health, animal health, plant health, genetic engineering and transportation of dangerous biological materials.
The limitation of access to and the control of handling of biological materials are a matter of public/ animal/plant health as well as of security. Working with dangerous agents for medical/veterinary/plant health or other legitimate purposes may pose a risk to the workforce as well as to the public and the environment in case of an accidental release.
The enactment of laws regarding physical and operational measures to ensure safe handling of dangerous materials and their enforcement, combined with professional knowledge, will have a two-fold effect: it will minimise the risks and will also contribute to the prevention of any misuse of such materials. To improve occupational and public/veterinary health, international organisations or States may offer support to other States so as to help improve their respective national infrastructures.
Biosafety and biosecurity are usually addressed by legislative and regulatory measures dealing, inter alia, with infectious diseases, public health, occupational health, animal health, plant health, genetic engineering and transportation of dangerous biological materials.
The limitation of access to and the control of handling of biological materials are a matter of public/ animal/plant health as well as of security. Working with dangerous agents for medical/veterinary/plant health or other legitimate purposes may pose a risk to the workforce as well as to the public and the environment in case of an accidental release.
The enactment of laws regarding physical and operational measures to ensure safe handling of dangerous materials and their enforcement, combined with professional knowledge, will have a two-fold effect: it will minimise the risks and will also contribute to the prevention of any misuse of such materials. To improve occupational and public/veterinary health, international organisations or States may offer support to other States so as to help improve their respective national infrastructures.