EAM S. Jaishankar sounded a strong global alert, stressing that bioterrorism is no longer a hypothetical threat. Speaking at a conference on 50 years of the Biological Weapons Convention, he highlighted gaps in the BWC and urged nations to modernise biosecurity frameworks to counter rising misuse by non-state actors.
00:00Resolution by India, measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring WMD.
00:05Bioterrorism is a serious concern.
00:07International community has to be adequately prepared.
00:11We mark half a century of the BWC, which is the first global treaty, as Chairman DRDO noted,
00:20to outlaw an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
00:23The BWC, building on the Geneva Protocol a century back from now, drew a clear moral and legal line.
00:37Disease must never be used as a weapon.
00:41Biology must serve peace, not advance harm.
00:45Even as science races ahead, the BWC remains the guardrail between innovation and misuse in the life science system.
00:58But we must ask ourselves and the world a hard question.
01:03Will this norm stay strong for the next 50 years?
01:08The answer depends on the decisions we take now.
01:12The international security environment has become more uncertain.
01:18Rapid developments in science and technology have led to the availability and the affordability
01:25of sophisticated biotechnology tools and a marked reduction in the costs of sequencing and synthesis.
01:35Recent outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected each and every one of us,
01:41have imposed a steep learning curve for policy makers and practitioners alike.
01:48These developments have raised new questions to be considered in the context of the implementation of the BWC.
01:57It is clear that whether a biological threat is natural, accidental or deliberate, it moves fast.
02:04It defies borders and it can and has overwhelmed systems.
02:11Public health and security may look like separate worlds.
02:16In reality, they actually reinforce each other.
02:20Systems that detect and contain natural outbreaks and also help counter deliberate ones.
02:25No country, no country can manage such threats alone.
02:37There is no single solution.
02:40But international cooperation comes to being the closest to one.
02:46Many countries in our regions still face gaps, deep gaps, fragile healthcare, weak surveillance, limited laboratories, slow emergency response, and unequal access to vaccines and medicines.
03:11These are not just developmental issues.
03:15They are also global risks.
03:18If biosecurity is uneven, so is global safety.
03:23The global south is the most vulnerable and has the most to gain from stronger biosecurity.
03:30It also has the most to contribute.
03:34Its voice must therefore shape the next 50 years of the BWC.
03:39India recognizes this responsibility.
03:45India remains committed to full and effective implementation of the BWC.
03:51Over the last two decades, we have built strong capacities across public health, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and biosciences.
04:01India is known for a reason as the pharmacy of the world.
04:05I urge you today to consider a few facts.
04:11One, India makes 60% of the world's vaccine.
04:15Two, India supplies over 20% of global generic medicines, with 60% of Africa's generics coming from India.
04:24Three, India is home to nearly 11,000 biotech startups, up from just 50 in 2014.
04:31Now, it is the third largest biotech startup ecosystem worldwide.
04:38Four, our health care investment has grown sharply with major progress in digital health.
04:46Five, our research network, ICMR, the DBT labs, the advanced BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities.
04:54They can detect and respond to a wide range of biological threats.
05:01India's strong private sector has amplified this resilience.
05:06It has demonstrated an ability to scale production, to innovate under pressure, and managed a global outreach.
05:15During the COVID-19 pandemic, India launched the vaccine maitri, in the spirit of vaccine maitri being vaccine friendship,
05:25in the spirit of what we call Vasudeva Kutumbakam, the world is one family,
05:30and provided nearly 300 million vaccine doses and medical aid to over 100 less developed and vulnerable countries,
05:39many of them free of cost.
05:40The message was simple, and the message was that when faced with a health crisis of such proportions,
05:50solidarity saves lives, and India will always be a trusted global partner.
05:57At the same time, as a responsible member of the international community,
06:02India is committed to ensuring the non-proliferation of sensitive and dual-use goods and technologies,
06:08and we have a well-established record in that regard.
06:13India has a robust legal and regulatory system to implement the provisions of UNSC Resolution 1540
06:21on non-proliferation and strategic trade controls.
06:26Consistent with our offer to share knowledge and technical expertise on relevant areas,
06:31and as a contribution to international non-proliferation architecture,
06:36India has been organizing an annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship Program since 2019.
06:45Last year, in partnership with UNODA,
06:49India hosted the first capacity building program on UNSC Resolution 1540
06:55and strategic trade controls for the Asia Pacific.
06:58This year, we have extended the invitation under the Indian Technical and Economic Program to Africa as well.
07:08Now, not only is India a party to the multilateral treaties of the BWC and the CWC,
07:15but also an active member of three multilateral key export control regimes,
07:21the Vasanar Arrangement, the Missile Technology Control Regime, and the Australia Group.
07:28As you all know, the Australia Group is the most pertinent to this conference
07:32since it relates to controls on dual-use chemicals, biological materials, and related items.
07:39In fact, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Australia Group,
07:44and we are happy to have the AG Chair with us.
07:48So, as we look ahead, we must assess the developments underway,
07:54which are outpacing the existing governance and normative frameworks.
07:58Scientific tools are evolving faster than global rules.
08:03Synthetic biology, genome editing, and AI-driven design
08:06make biological manipulation easier than ever.
08:10We have long highlighted concerns relating to the advancements in science and technology
08:16that have implications for international security and disarmament
08:20through annual resolutions in the UN General Assembly First Committee.
08:26Another resolution by India adopted by consensus
08:30is measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring WMD.
08:34Misuse by non-state actors is no longer, colleagues, a distant possibility.
08:43Bioterrorism is a serious concern,
08:46and the international community has to be adequately prepared.
08:50Yet, the BWC still lacks basic institutional structure, as we were just reminded.
08:57It has no compliance system.
08:58It has no permanent technical body and no mechanism to track new scientific developments.
09:05These gaps must be bridged in order to strengthen confidence.
09:11India has consistently called for stronger compliance measures within BWC,
09:17including verification designed for today's world.
09:21India supports international cooperation and assistance,
09:25enabling exchange of materials and equipment for peaceful use.
09:30We have further called for systematic review of scientific and technological developments
09:35so that governance does indeed keep pace with innovation.
09:41We have proposed a national implementation framework
09:44that inter-Alea covers identification of high-risk agents,
09:49oversight of dual-use research,
09:53domestic reporting, incident management, and continuous training.
09:59India has voiced that assistance during biological incidents must be fast,
10:05it must be practical, and it must be purely humanitarian.
10:09For 50 years, BWC has stood by a simple idea,
10:15one simple idea, that humanity rejects disease as a weapon.
10:21But norms survive only when nations renew them.
10:26The next 50 years will demand concerted action.
10:30We must modernize the convention.
10:32We must keep pace with science and strengthen global capacity
10:36so that all countries can detect, prevent, and respond to biological risks.
10:42India stands ready.
10:44We remain a trusted partner to the Global South
10:47and a committed supporter of global biosecurity.
10:51So let us use this opportunity not just to look back,
10:56but to prepare wisely for the future.
10:59I thank all our participants who have made the journey to India
11:02to attend this conference.
11:04Your presence in itself is testament to your commitment to the BWC.
11:09I wish you all fruitful discussions and food for thought
11:13in advance of the next session of the working group
11:16of the strengthening of the BWC
11:18and the meeting of state parties in Geneva next week.
11:22Once again, my best wishes.
11:24I have today the parliament session,
11:26which is opening in about 20 minutes.
11:31So I have to head back.
11:33I will not be able to attend the balance of the proceedings,
11:36but again, I take this opportunity.
11:38I wish you all a very, very productive and very fruitful discussion.
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