Meeting with the Program Adviser-BEP

From L-R: Velasco, Goode, Ogatis, Haq and Moreno.

In attendance: Velasco, Goode, Ogatis, Haq and Moreno.

A Meeting to Kickoff Future Collaborations

The meeting was attended by the Biological Risk Association Philippines (BRAP) president Dr. Miguel Martin N. Moreno II and vice president Dr. John Mark S. Velasco with Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) outgoing Program Adviser Brett Goode and incoming Mde. Amal Haq, accompanied by Ms. Ma. Sol Ogatis from the Export Control and Border Security Program of BEP at the US Embassy in Manila. Discussions revolved on BRAP founding, what BRAP has achieved in just a few months of existence, and future collaborations with BEP. The meeting was a simple acquaintance meet-up and a getting to know each other and each other’s institutions. Mde. Haq reiterated that BRAP has the support of BEP and applications for grants are welcome as long as proper procedures are followed. The meeting was held at the Tomato Grill in St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, just within the vicinity of the official residence of BRAP office.

All About BEP

The Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) was first funded in FY 2006 and is part of the Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs Global Threat Reduction programs account managed and implemented by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (ISN/CTR). The BEP mission is to engage life scientists and to combat biological threats worldwide by providing assistance to improve biosecurity, biosafety, pathogen surveillance, and infectious disease surveillance and response. In fulfilling its mission, BEP seeks to guide its efforts based on the National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats (PPD-2), which builds upon the National Biodefense Strategy (HSPD-10/NSPD-33), as well as international guidance from the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540.

Over the past seven years, BEP has expanded its scope of work, countries of engagement, and funding commitment. In every country in which BEP is engaged, the long-term goal of our programmatic activities is to work with governments and other stakeholders to build sustainable capacity for biosecurity, biosafety, disease surveillance, and scientific inquiry. To assess our success, we are working with collaborators to develop metrics that will enable assessment of not only the nature and extent of our engagement, but also the sustainability of the programs and capacities that we are introducing. (From https://www.bepstate.net/about-us/).