note of the activities of ICSU and recommends that Federal agencies 
work with ICSU and support its working groups on recombinant DNA 
guidelines, training/education, and risk-assessment. 
• The Committee recognizes the special need to ensure wide dissemina- 
tion of information on all international recombinant DNA activities. 
Hence, the Committee recommends that relevant Federal agencies, such 
as NIH, the Department of Agriculture, and the National Science 
Foundation, conduct or support information programs to ensure that 
international developments in recombinant DNA activities are periodi- 
cally and widely reported. It was noted that NIH's Recombinant DNA 
Technical Bulletin ( formerly Nucleic Acid Recombinant Scientific 
Memoranda) is designed to serve as a useful vehicle in this regard. 
• The Committee strongly endorses WHO efforts to achieve uniformity in 
safety practices in biological research. Therefore, it recommends 
that relevant Federal agencies provide support to WHO and other 
international organizations with the capability to develop inter- 
national biological safety codes of practice. 
• The Committee recognizes the importance of private-sector research 
activities and the problems presented in the protection of propri- 
etary information and patent rights. The Committee, therefore, urges 
relevant Federal agencies, such as the Department of Commerce, to 
assist international efforts in seeking a resolution of these issues. 
The Committee further believes that the conference proposed by COGENE 
for private industry is of key importance and that support for the 
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