Where is the governance of dual-use science going?

Governance is the mechanism to ensure accountability, providing oversight to ensure that risks are adequately prevented and mitigated. Thus, biosafety and biosecurity are central to the mechanism of governance. This chapter begins with a brief discussion of rapidly emerging technologies such as genetic manipulation and artificial intelligence. The collective process of creating an international governance mechanism for dual-use research requires standardisation of language and concepts. The chapter describes the value of frameworks to help clarify and standardise the approach being used. International, national and local oversight mechanisms, including monitoring of advancing technologies, have begun to populate agencies and institutions whose remit covers dual-use governance. The collective process of creating an international governance mechanism for dual-use research requires standardisation of language and concepts. Applied research into biosafety and biosecurity practices can be used to standardise methodologies across regions as appropriate and progress our ability to appropriately manage risks.