The Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Singapore, represented by the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies at RSIS, hosted the inaugural CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Biosecurity and Health Security from 10 to 11 March 2025. Organised in collaboration with the Asia Centre for Health Security (ACHS), the meeting was co-chaired by Prof Mely Caballero-Anthony, Head of NTS; Ms Angela Woodward from CSCAP New Zealand; and Prof Akiyama Nobumasa from CSCAP Japan. It brought together a diverse group of experts from across the Asia-Pacific region, including those from security, public health, academia, and the biotech industry, to discuss critical biosecurity and health security challenges facing the region.
The study group facilitated a candid exchange of views on the diverse biosecurity and health security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region. Experts started by identifying emerging biosecurity and health security threats in the region, leading to deliberations on pandemic preparedness and response in the Asia-Pacific. Discussions also covered the risks posed by emerging technologies and the development of national frameworks and regional mechanisms for the governance of biosecurity and health security. Furthermore, regional experts examined confidence-building and compliance measures under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), verification issues, as well as national implementation measures adopted by Asia-Pacific countries.
The meeting also heard the key findings and recommendations from the new RSIS baseline study on emerging biosecurity landscape in Southeast Asia. The presentation allowed for more deliberations on the kinds of biosecurity and health security issues, challenges and approaches that the Study Group can focus on at its next meeting.
