Scientific and Technological Responses to Pandemics: Drawing Parallels Between International Security and Public Health

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is pleased to invite you to a seminar on Scientific and Technological Responses to Pandemics.

Drawing on the experience of the WHO, governments, academic community and the private sector, and the lessons learned from the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, the webinar will explore the extent to which advanced scientific and technological solutions can be leveraged in the preparedness and response to large-scale public health emergencies. The pandemic has also shown the risks and devastating effects of a potential biological attack. As scientific and technological tools that can address naturally occurring diseases can also effectively counter intentional outbreaks, this moderated discussion will explore how advancements in disease detection, diagnosis and surveillance technologies can bolster the Biological Weapons Convention.

This virtual seminar will serve as primer event for the 2020 edition of UNIDIR’s Innovations Dialogue on the links between innovations in life sciences and international security.

WHEN & WHERE:

17 August 13:45 to 15:45 (CET), online

PARTICIPANTS:

UNIDIR encourages the participation of representatives and experts working on or interested in issues pertaining to the implications of scientific and technological advances in the life sciences for international peace and security.

AGENDA:

• 1345-1400: Welcome and opening remarks– Scientific and Technological Responses to Pandemics: Drawing Parallels Between International Security and Public Health
  • Renata Dwan, Director, UNIDIR 
• 1400-1545: Panel – Pandemics and Technology: lessons learned from COVID-19
  • Moderated by Giacomo Persi Paoli, Programme Lead, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR
    Maurizio Barbeschi, Senior Adviser to the Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
    Seon Kui Lee, Director, Division of Risk Assessment and International Cooperation, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
    WPS Sidhu, Clinical Associate Professor, Center for Global Affairs, School of Professional Studies, New York University
    Kamran Khan, Founder and CEO, BlueDot

SEMINAR RECORDING: