NEW DELHI: India on Monday pitched for a global mechanism to check any possible misuse of biological weapons in view of the uncertain international security environment.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said “misuse” of biological weapons by non-state actors is no longer a distant possibility and that international cooperation is needed to combat such a challenge.
He was speaking at a conference on 50 years of the ‘Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)’.
“Bioterrorism is a serious concern that the international community has to be adequately prepared for. Yet the BWC still lacks basic institutional structures,” he said.
“It has no compliance system, it has no permanent technical body and no mechanism to track new scientific developments. These gaps must be bridged in order to strengthen confidence,” he added.
Jaishankar said India has consistently called for stronger compliance measures within BWC, including verification designed for today’s world.
“India supports international cooperation and assistance enabling exchange of materials and equipment for peaceful use,” he said.
“We have further called for systematic review of scientific and technological developments so that governance does indeed keep pace with innovation,” he added.
Jaishankar said India has consistently called for stronger compliance measures within BWC, including verification designed for today’s world.
“India supports international cooperation and assistance enabling exchange of materials and equipment for peaceful use,” he said.
The external affairs minister said New Delhi has proposed a national implementation framework that covers identification of high-risk agents, oversight of dual-use research, incident management, and continuous training.
“For 50 years, BWC has stood by one simple idea: that humanity rejects disease as a weapon. But norms survive only when nations renew them. The next 50 years will demand concerted action,” he said.
“We must modernise the Convention, we must keep pace with science and strengthen global capacity so that all countries can detect, prevent, and respond to biological risks,” he noted.
Jaishankar said that India stands ready as a trusted partner to the Global South and a committed supporter of global biosecurity.
The external affairs minister said the international security environment had become more uncertain and rapid developments in technology have led to availability and affordability of sophisticated biotechnology tools and a marked reduction in costs of sequencing and synthesis.
“Recent outbreaks, including the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected each and every one of us, have imposed a steep learning curve for policymakers and practitioners alike.
“These developments have raised new questions to be considered in the context of the implementation of the BWC,” he said.
