NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Monday called for urgent global reforms to strengthen biosecurity and fortify the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) as it marks its 50th anniversary.
Speaking at the Conference on 50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South in New Delhi, the minister warned that scientific advances are rapidly outpacing existing global governance frameworks, posing new risks for international security.
Opening his remarks with a strong moral assertion, Dr Jaishankar said, “We mark half a century of the BWC… disease must never be used as a weapon. Biology must serve peace, not advance harm.”
He underlined that the BWC remains the guardrail between innovation and misuse in the life sciences domain, but questioned whether this protection would remain strong over the next 50 years. “The answer depends on the decisions we take now, ” he stressed.
Highlighting the uncertainties in global security and the rapid evolution of biotechnology, he noted that the falling cost and rising availability of sophisticated biological tools had introduced unprecedented challenges. “Whether a biological threat is natural, accidental, or deliberate, it moves fast; it defies borders, and it can overwhelm systems, ” he warned, stressing that public health and national security are deeply interconnected.