New Delhi, December 2 (ANI): Frederico Meyer, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the Conference on Disarmament and Chair of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), said the “biggest gap” in the current global biological weapons governance framework is the “international situation.”
Expressing concern over the lack of a governance framework for biological weapons, he said, “Science evolves at the speed of light, while diplomats move very slowly.”
“The biggest gap (in the current global biological weapons governance framework) is the international situation. On the floor of the room where we discuss, there are strong national positions, which are very much involved with the polarisation in foreign policy at the moment,” Meyer told ANI.
Meyer remained optimistic that the convention can be strengthened. “The convention is a young girl. It’s only 50 years old. So, of course, the world has been in permanent evolution. That’s why we have this working group, to strengthen the convention. As the world and the international scene evolve, we have working groups that want to address and close those gaps,” he said.
The international conference “50 Years of BWC: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South” was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs on December 1-2 in New Delhi to mark the 50th anniversary of the convention’s entry into force.
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar addressed scientific experts, policymakers and diplomats from over 80 countries, and representatives from international and regional organisations, as well as Indian academia and industry. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention and India’s non-proliferation record, and urged participants to consider new challenges posed by rapid developments in science and technology in the context of the BWC.
He highlighted India’s proposal for a National Implementation Framework covering identification of high-risk agents, oversight of dual-use research, domestic reporting, incident management and continuous training. He also noted India’s annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship and a Capacity Building Programme under ITEC on UNSC Resolution 1540 and Strategic Trade Controls as contributions to the global non-proliferation architecture.
During the conference opening, the EAM visited an exposition showcasing India’s strengths in bio-surveillance, biotechnology, diagnostics, therapeutics and digital disease surveillance. The exposition presented products and solutions developed by government bodies and organisations including DRDE, CSIR, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Biotechnology-BIRAC, ICMR, and the Department of Animal Husbandry, alongside private industry partners. The ICMR BSL-3 Lab and the DAHD Mobile Veterinary Unit were part of the exhibit, representing India’s innovation in public health preparedness.
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