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THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE 9 May 2005
RE: WHO DIRECTOR GENERAL QUESTIONS SMALLPOX RECOMMENDATION The World Health Assembly meets very soon, from 16-25 May 2005, during which it will consider a set of recommendations that would expand research with smallpox virus, including smallpox genetic engineering, greatly increasing public health, biosafety, and biological weapons risks. In a paper released in mid-April (WHA A 58/10), Director General Lee Jong-wook concludes that the recommendation to permit insertion of smallpox genes into related viruses, such as monkeypox and cowpox, should be rejected. The Director General was silent, however, on other suggestions, including the genetic engineering of smallpox virus itself and a far wider distribution of smallpox DNA. NGOs are urging governments to reject all the recommendations and to set a strict time limited deadline for the destruction of remaining smallpox virus stocks. Please support the campaign by going to http://www.smallpoxbiosafety.org, which is available in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. From there, letters can be sent to the WHO Director General. We reproduce below a press release from The Sunshine Project. With best wishes, The Sunshine Project News Release - 6 May 2005 http://www.sunshine-project.org WHO Director-General Questions Smallpox Advisory Committee Recommendation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- World Health Assembly to Consider Dangerous Genetic Engineering Recommendations Beginning May 16th The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised questions about the proposal by a WHO Advisory Committee to dramatically increase risky research with live smallpox virus. In a paper released in mid-April (WHA A 58/10), Director General Lee Jong-wook concludes that the Committee's recommendation to permit insertion of smallpox genes into related viruses, such as monkeypox and cowpox, should be rejected. The Director General was silent, however, on the Advisory Committee's other suggestions, including the genetic engineering of variola (smallpox) virus itself and a far wider distribution of smallpox DNA. According to the Sunshine Project, the Director-General's position is notable for its recognition that the Variola Advisory Committee's proposals have received inadequate review. "We are pleased that the Director-General has acted to block one of the Variola Advisory Committee's recommendations, now we need to address the others." says Sunshine Project Director Edward Hammond, "The set of recommendations remains substantially unreviewed by experts in public health, safety of genetically modified organisms, and preparedness for deliberate outbreaks of disease." According to non-governmental organizations, both the recommendations and the committee that produced them are problematic. The recommendations because they will dramatically increase the risk of an accidental or deliberate release of smallpox virus and represent WHO endorsement of genetic engineering experiments with extremely dangerous viruses. NGOs have criticized the Advisory Committee as using intransparent meeting methods and as being geographically and scientifically imbalanced. The committee is weighted towards a small number of countries and scientists with a personal and institutional interest in prolonging retention of and research with the otherwise eradicated virus. Major world regions have been underrepresented or not represented at all at committee meetings. Says Hammond, "Ambiguous language in the report to be considered by the WHA would, if adopted, exacerbate the problems with this runaway committee. Rather than strengthening the hand of a failing and politicized 'technical' mechanism, the WHA should confine the Advisory Committee to its original mandate to be a short-term review mechanism in a fixed time interval before virus destruction. WHA should also follow-on the Director-General's recommendation to clarify that the committee cannot review its own proposals because its membership and mandate fall far short of representing the range of relevant expertise and perspectives to set WHO policy on live virus research." The Sunshine Project and Third World Network, backed by an international group of a dozen non-profits, oppose the genetic engineering of smallpox and want WHO to put the virus stocks back on a fast track for destruction. (The US and Russia balked at destruction dates in 1999 and 2002.) They have established a website, http://www.smallpoxbiosafety.org, where members of the public can send a letter to WHO and find contacts for their national representatives at the WHA. So far, well over a thousand people from more than sixty countries have sent letters. The World Health Assembly will meet in Geneva, Switzerland for a week and a half, beginning on May 16th. The smallpox virus destruction issue is early in its agenda, and discussion of it should begin shortly after the meeting opens. Third World Network and the Sunshine Project will hold a briefing for WHA delegates on May 17th at the Palais des Nations. The Sunshine Project strongly encourages members of the public, scientists, and non-profits to send a letter to the WHO Director General at www.smallpoxbiosafety.org and to contact their health ministry to urge that their national government oppose the relaxation of restrictions on smallpox virus research.
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