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Biosecurity Briefing
UK Releases Their First National Security Strategy By Kunal Rambhia, March 21, 2008 On March 19, 2008, the British Government released a statement1 announcing the first National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom.2 Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented the document to the House of Commons and in his statement noted that “new threats demand new approaches” to protecting the people and British national interest.1 The document describes “international terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, conflicts and failed states, pandemics, and trans-national crime” as threats that that the Prime Minister believes “redefine national security not just as the protection of the state but as the protection of all people.”2,1 The purpose of the National Security Strategy document is to build on reforms that have already been put into place, including the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, established in 2007. The guiding principles of the document include early engagement in preparedness, a multilateral foreign approach, and an integrated domestic approach. The Specific Threats and Risks section of the document addresses the fact that some terrorists “have aspirations to use chemical, biological and radiological weapons.”2 The risk analysis for weapons of mass destruction continues on to say that “a number of [nation] states retain the ability to produce chemical and biological weapons,” but “we do not judge that they currently pose a direct threat to the United Kingdom.”2 In addition to the threat of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, the document assesses the risk of infectious disease, judging that “the highest risk is an influenza-type pandemic, like the outbreak in 1918....Experts agree that there is a high probability of a pandemic occurring…the speed at which it could be spread has increased with globalization.”2 The assessment estimates that fatalities from a pandemic could amount to 750,000 people in the UK. Following the risk assessment, the document outlines and describes the response to the various threats faced by the United Kingdom. The cross-government counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) outlines four objectives:
The strategy for the threat of weapons of mass destruction includes the following:
When specifically tackling the issue of biological weapons, the strategy focuses mainly on detection of “attempts by proliferator states and terrorists to develop, acquire or use weapons.”[2] The strategy also emphasizes multilateral engagement to prevent biological weapons from ending up in the hands of terrorists. In addressing the risk of pandemics, the document suggests that the U.K. “work closely with international bodies to reduce the risk” and “build the capacity to respond if [a pandemic] materializes.”2 This entails coordinating international surveillance, analyzing virus samples for vaccine and countermeasure development, increasing vaccine supply, and planning for mitigation activities such as travel restrictions.2 The strategy also notes the need for community involvement in planning and preparedness. Prime Minster Brown also noted in his statement that the U.K.’s “new approach to security also means improved local resilience against emergencies, building and strengthening local capacity to respond effectively in a range of circumstances from floods to possible terrorism.”1 References
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