A philanthropic fund working to strengthen and develop international law and global norms to solve global challenges. Hosted by Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.
Joined August 2023
- Tweets 186
- Following 9
- Followers 681
- Likes 83
63 Photos and videos
Today is World Oceans Day. 🌊
A good moment to revisit something @LuisVayasEc said when we filmed Episode 2 of Summit Talks. 🏔️🎙️
He had just stepped down as chair of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. The talks in Geneva had ended without a final text. A lot of people called it a failure. He pushed back on that framing. And he said something worth holding onto.
"We are all on the same side of the table. On the other side is plastic pollution. And we are going to win."
He also shared something that explains exactly why a global treaty is the only path forward. Ecuador banned single use plastics from the Galapagos Islands. A national park. One of the most protected places on earth. And plastic still washes in. Carried by the currents from everywhere else.
You cannot solve a global ocean with a national law.
That is why Luis refused to sign off on a weak agreement in Geneva. His words: "I won't be chair to a treaty that won't give credible rules to end plastic pollution."
No deal over a bad deal. That takes real conviction when you have been negotiating for years and the pressure to just get something done is enormous. The treaty is still being negotiated. But the people pushing for it are not giving up either.
Full conversation with Luis is on YouTube and Spotify. Link in comments.
#SummitTalks #WorldOceansDay #GlobalPlasticsTreaty #InternationalLaw #PlasticPollution
1
82
May 28
Scary rumours have spread that AI and emerging technologies can let anyone with a computer and an internet connection design a virus, unleash it and kill millions.
#Bioweapons expert @FilippaLentzos told us why it is not that simple. Phew.
A #SummitTalks conversation on #biosecurity. Full episode on YouTube.
1
1
1
255
Lex International retweeted
May 21
What are the implications of AI and autonomous weapons systems for the protection of civilians? At 🇦🇹 #PoCWeek side event, talks focused on autonomous weapons and AI-supported targeting, raising concerns on accountability, escalation, and maintaining human control. #NotATarget
7
17
1,391
May 21
Luck and skill. That's what's kept us safe from biological warfare...
How striking is it that the world has been spared from biological warfare partly thanks to luck? That's not alarmism. That's what @FilippaLentzos , one of the top experts in biosecurity, told us. Skill plays a role too. But so does luck. And the more labs we build around the world, the more we're putting both to the test.
#SummitTalks #Bioweapons
28
May 19
In light of the increasing use of AI in armed conflicts across the globe, we commissioned an international survey that assessed public attitudes toward the use of AI-enabled weapons against people and here are the results
1
1
1
48
May 19
This follows a historical pattern on weapons. From chemical weapons & landmines to cluster munitions & nuclear weapons, public opposition preceded diplomatic action on international regulations. Each time, the gap between public opinion & national policy eventually closed.
1
15
Lex International retweeted
May 19
Ambassador Arafa met with Mr. Magnus Løvold, from LEX International @LexIntl_org to discuss #Lebanon’s recent accession to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention #APMBC, reaffirm the urgent legal and moral imperative of protecting #civilians in armed conflict and upholding #InternationalLaw at this critical moment #POCWeek
3
7
447
May 15
What's a Bioweapon? (And yes, we could all be one) 🦠
Viruses do not need missiles. They need a mean of dissemination. In this episode, biosecurity expert @FilippaLentzos explains that #bioweapons can travel in insects ferrying pathogens from crop to crop, in animals, in plants, and yes, in us.
28
Lex International retweeted
May 8
When people think of weapons, they think of missiles and guns. But the most dangerous threats can be invisible.
In #SummitTalks, @FilippaLentzos talks biosecurity with Beatrice Fihn. Produced by @LexIntl_org.
Watch (full): bit.ly/4cZOv7D
Short: bit.ly/4wiqArw
1
1
555
🦠 Viruses. Bacteria. That's what we're talking about.
Not missiles. Not bullets. The weapons you can't see, can't touch, and can barely define. Dr. @FilippaLentzos breaks down why biological weapons are so hard to understand, and why that's exactly the problem.
#SummitTalks #Virus #InternationalLaw #Bioweapons
1
1
100
Lex International retweeted
Bioweapons are not a relic of the Cold War. The risks are
real, they are growing, and too few people are paying
attention. I joined @BeaFihn on @LexIntl_org #SummitTalks to talk about why the #1972BWC is under pressure. Worth a watch. youtube.com/watch?v=hEPW4Spi…
4
13
707
Bioweapons: what the world got right, and what comes next.
In 1975, the world did something remarkable: it banned an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. No biological weapon has been used in war since. But the risks are growing, the technology is changing, and the work is far from over.
@BeaFihn sits down with biosecurity expert @FilippaLentzos on the slopes of Crans-Montana to talk about what it will take to keep that achievement alive.
Watch the full episode on our YouTube and Spotify channels.
#SummitTalks #InternationalLaw #Bioweapons
1
3
10
2,088