NEW DELHI: Reaffirming India’s commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention and India’s well-established non-proliferation record, foreign minister S Jaishankar warned against “misuse” of biological weapons by non-State actors saying it’s no longer a distant possibility and international cooperation is needed to combat such a challenge.Jaishankar 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,” Jaishankar added.India, said the minister, has consistently called for stronger compliance measures within the BWC, including verification designed for today’s world. “India supports international cooperation and assistance enabling exchange of materials and equipment for peaceful use,” Jaishankar said.“We have further called for systematic review of scientific and technological developments so that governance does indeed keep pace with innovation,” he added.He urged the participants to reflect on the new challenges posed by the rapid developments in science and technology in the context of the BWC.According to a statement by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) Jaishankar highlighted India’s proposal for a National Implementation Framework that covers identification of high-risk agents, oversight of dual-use research, domestic reporting, incident management and continuous training. “He noted that India’s annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship and Capacity Building Programme under ITEC on UNSC Resolution 1540 and Strategic Trade Controls, further demonstrates our contribution to the global non-proliferation architecture,” said the Indian statement.
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