India: India on Monday called on the Global South to play a decisive role in strengthening bio-security through robust commitment to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Addressing a conference on '50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention: Strengthening Bio-security for the Global South,' in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar elaborated on the role of India and the Global South in modernising the Convention.
According to Kuwait News Agency, with representatives from more than 80 countries in attendance, Jaishankar emphasized the need for ensuring that the Biological Weapons Convention remains the guardrail between innovation and misuse in the life sciences in an uncertain international security environment. He also appealed to modernize the Convention with stronger compliance measures, keeping pace with science and technology, and strengthening global capacity as the BWC lacks basic institutional structures like a compliance system, permanent technical body, or tracking mechanism for new scientific developments.
The Indian minister also appealed for international cooperation for modernizing the Convention as biological threats move fast, defy borders, and overwhelm systems. Jaishankar called on the Global South to engage actively to shape the next 50 years of BWC, as it has the most to gain from stronger biosecurity and the most to contribute.
He also highlighted India's commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Convention and ensuring the non-proliferation of sensitive and dual-use goods and technologies.