The Royal Society is the UK’s leading independent scientific body. As well as providing an authoritative voice and leadership for UK science, it provide objective advice for government and policymakers on science, its relationship with society and science education. The Royal Society is well placed to tackle concerns relating to international security as these issues often cover a wide range of scientific disciplines. The Society has held meetings with scientists from overseas, discussed issues with policy makers, initiated studies and produced a number of reports. It has done extensive work on reducing the threats from biological weapons and the misuse of scientific research.
Assessing and communicating biological risks, preventing the misuse of scientific research for biological weapons, and enhancing biosecurity, are longstanding areas of policy work for the Royal Society and its Science Policy Centre. We continue work with other national academies of science as part of the IAP Biosecurity Working Group to make progress on these issues at the international level.
