U.S. officials recently played host to diplomatic visitors convening for an International Forum on Health and Security at the Interagency Biodefense Campus on Fort Detrick, Maryland.
Ambassador Laura Kennedy, U.S. Special Representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) Issues, accompanied a group of Ambassadors posted to Switzerland, including the current BWC Chairman, Algerian Ambassador Boujemâa Delmi.
The program included visits on 24 July to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) of the Department of Homeland Security.
Senior officials from the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation briefed on the various components that make up the Biodefense Campus, and described the “whole of government” approach the U.S. embraces for biodefense as well as international cooperation and assistance in this vital area. (Source: UN Mission, Geneva)
The event was part of ongoing efforts by the United States to follow up on the Bio-Transparency and Openness Initiative announced by Secretary Clinton at the December 2011 BWC Review Conference.
