An important element in international cooperation is Denmark’s participation in the Australia Group. The Australia Group is a forum for member states that seeks to ensure, through export controls, that exports do not contribute to the development of dangerous biological agents, related technology, and technology with potential for misuse. Cooperation with the Australia Group helps to develop coordination frameworks for uniform export control. The Australia Group’s list of dangerous biological agents, related technology, and technology with potential for misuse forms the basis for Annex 1 to the Biosecurity Order, as well as the basis for the Danish Business Authority’s export control list.
Further information on the Australia Group
BTWC is an international convention that prohibits participating states from developing, producing, stockpiling, or otherwise acquiring or retaining biological weapons. CBB participates in BTWC meetings and contributes the centre's expertise in biosecurity and biopreparedness. CBB has also conducted biosecurity courses funded by the EU through the BTWC and has helped promote the implementation of biosecurity measures in accordance with the BTWC, including by collaborating with the government of Kenya.
Further information on the BTWC
NATO is an international organisation for political and military defence cooperation in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. CBB collaborates with NATO member countries to exchange information. CBB also participates in a project to write a book on biosecurity and synthetic biology.
The EBRF is a European working group aimed at strengthening European biosecurity. CBB contributes by exchanging knowledge and experiences about human and animal pathogens from a biosecurity perspective.
Further information on the EBRF
In the GHSA, 69 countries and several international organisations work together to protect the world from infectious diseases. This is done by assessing individual countries’ capacity for disease surveillance and control, and by coordinating international support. CBB participates in the GHSA working group on biosecurity and biopreparedness, where biosecurity authorities and international organisations exchange experiences and information on ongoing projects.
Further information on the GHSA
The GP aims to enhance international security by helping to prevent the spread of components that can be used to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, including biological weapons. In 2020, CBB co-chaired the GP’s working group on biological threats alongside the U.S. Department of State.
The IEGBBR is a group of governmental authorities from 11 countries that coordinate and lead projects aimed at strengthening, promoting, and regulating biosecurity internationally. Cooperation with the IEGBBR contributes to the development and enhancement of global health security and aims to provide reference tools and materials beneficial to the international community.
Further information on the IEGBBR
The NBF is a collaboration between the Nordic countries to strengthen preparedness diagnostics for biological agents and biosecurity. CBB exchanges knowledge and information about local and national disease outbreaks.
Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark makes CBB’s operational capabilities available to the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism (UNSGM) for investigating possible use of biological weapons. In this context, a task force can draw on CBB’s analytical capacity to determine whether an attack is man-made or the result of natural events.
