Pandemic Risk in the Context of Biosafety, Biosecurity and International Law : Applying the No-Harm Principle to Laboratories

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, and considering — among its possible causes — the hypothesis of a laboratory accident alongside natural spillover events, this article investigates how international law addresses the phenomenon of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs). It analyzes the extent to which such risks are governed within the framework of the World Health Organization’s normative instruments, the positions taken by States, and the international initiatives aimed at preventing similar occurrences in the future. The study seeks to outline the current legal landscape concerning biosafety and biosecurity in research laboratories under international law.