2.4 WHO should keep Member States informed of the progress made by the ICSU Committee on 
Genetic Experimentation (COGENE) in the areas of risk assessment, comparison of national 
guidelines for safe experimentation, and training of research workers and safety officers. 
2.5 The Committee stressed the need for more adequate laboratory safety elements (staff, 
facilities and equipment) in microbiological practice since the professional disciplines 
working with pathogenic organisms are increasing, often without proper training in safety 
measures and supervision. WHO's role, particularly with respect to the promotion of 
research in developing countries, is evident. The international working group for laboratory 
safety elements should further aim, therefore, to promote the implementation of codes of 
practice and technical cooperation in the organization of laboratory safety services and in 
the training of safety officers and research workers at the national level. 
2.6 The secretariat should also place further emphasis on technical cooperation for 
emergency plans and services in case of laboratory- and transport-associated accidents. The 
international working group established within the Special Programme for the development of 
emergency services should receive full support and prepare draft guidelines and its detailed 
plan of work for a three-year period in collaboration with the working group for laboratory 
safety elements. 
2.7 The Committee endorsed the proposal of the secretariat to review the Special Programme 
at consultations in 1978. For this purpose, a Board for the programme should comprise two 
ex-o f f i c io ACMR members, the presently acting Chairman, and the four heads of the international 
working groups. This Board could in future replace the ACMR Sub-Committee which finds it 
almost impossible to give appropriate guidance for a Special Programme of the magnitude now 
attained in the short time available. The Board would have the functions of "advisory 
committee" and "steering group" recommended in previous reports and should ensure the 
cooperation of all interested governmental and non-governmental international organizations. 
2.8 In the area ot recombinant DNA research, various national and international institutions 
have now become active. Their activities concern research coordination, application of the 
new technology, comparison and harmonization of safety guidelines, assessment of risks, 
ethical problems, etc. Important conclusions can be expected during the next two years. 
WHO should begin to explore, therefore, the possibility of a comprehensive symposium with all 
organizations involved in these subjects (e.g. FAO, ILO, UNEP, UNESCO, the International 
Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the 
European Science Foundation (ESF) and leading national committees) in order to assess the 
potential benefits and the conjectural risks of recombinant DNA research. 
2.9 The Committee noted with appreciation that NIH (USA) has developed a mechanism for the 
international exchange of memoranda between experts involved in recombinant DNA research. 
WHO should investigate the possibility of cooperating with such services and resources 
available at the national level in order to establish an exchange of safety information 
concerning the whole field of microbiology for research workers and public health services. 
2.10 All the aforementioned activities are essentially part of technical cooperation with 
developing countries to advance their microbiological research and practice. It would be 
advisable, therefore, if very close ties could be established between the Special Programmes 
for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and for Safety Measures in Microbiology. 
2.11 The Special Programme on Safety Measures in Microbiology has rapidly reached a 
magnitude which calls for increased secretariat support particularly because of its importance 
for developing as well as industrialized countries. It is the conviction of the ACMR that 
the rapid progress made is due not only to the competent coordination through its secretary, 
but also to the apparent need of this Special Programme to meet the most urgent needs of 
Member States in an area which, as historically seen, has been unchecked for many decades and 
now has become a prominent problem. 
VI-22 
[484 J 
