Dr Emil Nafis Iftekhar is a Political Affairs Intern at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Implementation Support Unit of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he has gathered experience in biosecurity policy, contributing to the Youth Recommendations to the 2022 Review Conference of the BWC, researching and advocating for national COVID-19 policy in Germany, and managing a working group on Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity at the Global Health Hub Germany. He has a PhD in Physics of Biology and Complex Systems from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation in Göttingen, Germany.
Dr Emil Nafis Iftekhar
Political Affairs Intern
Content by Dr Emil Nafis Iftekhar
Commentary
Ok, Doomer! The NEVER podcast – Biological threats: Going viral
Listen to the fourth episode of the NEVER podcast – Ok, Doomer! In this episode, we explore biological existential and global catastrophic risks. Featuring an introduction to the topic and an exploration of some of the technological mitigation techniques we have available for biological risks, a panel discussion exploring the current state of the international governance of biological risks, and we will also delve into whether humanity’s recent brush with COVID-19 has better or worse prepared us for future pandemics, be they man-made or natural.
Commentary
Existential threats beyond the bomb: emerging disruptive technologies in the age of AI
To better understand emerging technologies, NEVER members Konrad, Anemone, Emil, Arthur, and Joel outline the evolution of the risk landscape around emerging disruptive technologies and draw parallels between the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and those posed by novel biotechnologies. They explore the broader challenge of governing emerging technologies and suggest potential ways forward.