Bioweapons: the threat is real, the safeguards are crumbling. Summit Talks with Filippa Lentzos

What are biological weapons? How did the world agree to ban them over 50 years ago? And how do we make sure that holds in a world that is changing faster than our institutions can keep up?
In this episode of Summit Talks, Beatrice Fihn sits down with Filippa Lentzos, associate professor at King's College London and one of the world's leading experts on biosecurity, for an in-depth conversation filmed at Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

From the origins of the Biological Weapons Convention to the blurring line between biodefense and offensive research, Filippa maps out where the risks are growing, who has a role to play, and why knowledge, not panic, is the most powerful tool we have.

00:00 Sitting down after a long day on the slopes
00:42 Introduction: pandemics, biotechnology and biosecurity
02:11 What is a bioweapon exactly?
04:43 Has a bioweapon ever been used?
06:49 Do countries still have bioweapons today?
07:59 The Biological Weapons Convention: a Cold War success story
12:35 The verification problem
13:44 The blurry line between biodefense and offense
16:18 Emerging technologies and new threats
18:53 Why designing a bioweapon is harder than it sounds
21:56 Why distrust is the biggest threat today
30:14 What needs to happen now?
33:44 From classrooms to boardrooms: who needs to act
37:02 Can we still build a better future?
38:55 An average Friday or the best workday ever?

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Created by Lex International & Theus Productions
Executive Producers: Beatrice Fihn, Emma Pikes, Magnus Løvold
Produced by Theus Productions

Florent Beauverd – Director
Michaël Theus – Producer & Drone Operator
Michaël Perrot – Producer
Jimmy Roura – Artistic Director
Ulysse Katchelewa – Production Coordinator
Thibaud Maury – Director of Photography
Raphael Herzig – Sound Recordist
Cornland Studio – Post-Production Sound
Leo Felder – Editor
Marc Despont – Driver
Jeanne Vallier – Production Intern

About Summit Talks:
Summit Talks is a content series, where Beatrice Fihn embarks on scenic hikes through Switzerland’s most iconic mountain landscapes alongside some of the world’s most influential diplomats to talk about the importance of international law and multilateralism. Step by step, Beatrice engages her guests in informal, unscripted conversations that delve into how the international community are trying to solve some of the major global issues of our time. Along the way, viewers gain insight not only into the pressing topics discussed but also into the often untold personal stories that shape each diplomat’s journey.

About Lex International:
Lex International Fund is a philanthropic fund hosted by Swiss Philanthropy Foundation to develop and strengthen international law to solve global challenges. We work with civil society movements, international organisations, governments, media, business and scientists to shape new global norms and create bold, innovative solutions to global challenges.

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