Veronica Black shares insights into the significant strides made and the challenges ahead in formulating a binding convention on biological hazards.

"It's been a really interesting week and a half so far," said Black. "It started very slowly, but we've started making some really great progress over the last couple of days."

One of the critical achievements of the workers' group, according to Black, is securing an agreement that the document should be a convention rather than just a recommendation. "This is important because conventions are binding," she explained. "The convention would be supported by recommendations that provide more detail."

Black highlighted several key successes so far:

1. Broad Definition of Biological Hazards and Health: The workers' group achieved a broad definition of biological hazards and a comprehensive understanding of health impacts. "It's crucial that we're not only talking about the physical impacts of exposure but also the mental health impacts and overall well-being," Black noted. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of this, as healthcare workers, particularly nurses, faced immense mental health challenges while caring for patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

2. Precautionary Principle: Another significant achievement is the recognition of the precautionary principle. Initially, the document emphasized making decisions based on sound scientific evidence. However, as Black pointed out, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that scientific evidence might be lacking for new and emerging diseases. "We've secured recognition that the highest level of protections must be afforded to people exposed to these hazards until we have the necessary scientific evidence about the nature of transmission and other factors," she said.

We've seen the devastating impact of biological hazards during the pandemic

Despite these successes, Black emphasized that this is a two-year process. "While we're making great progress, many of these issues may come up for discussion again next year. We're hoping to maintain the gains we've made so far and build on them in the next phase."

"We've seen the devastating impact of biological hazards during the pandemic," Black concluded. "It's crucial that we continue to push for strong, binding protections that safeguard both the physical and mental health of workers worldwide."

It's crucial that we continue to push for strong, binding protections that safeguard both the physical and mental health of workers worldwide