New Delhi, December 2 — Frederico Meyer, Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament and chair of the Working Group on Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), warned that the principal shortcoming in global biological weapons governance today is the wider international context. “The biggest gap… is the international situation,” he said, pointing to entrenched national positions and growing polarization in foreign policy. He added, “Science evolves at the speed of light, while diplomats move very slowly.”
Despite these concerns, Meyer expressed optimism that the BWC can be reinforced. Noting that the convention is only fifty years old, he said it remains in a stage of development and that current working groups aim to identify and close emerging gaps as the international environment and technology evolve.
The comments came during an international conference in New Delhi titled “50 Years of BWC: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South,” organized by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on December 1–2 to mark the convention’s 50th anniversary. Delegates included scientific experts, policymakers and diplomats from more than 80 countries, representatives of international and regional organizations, and members of Indian academia and industry.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar addressed the gathering, reaffirming India’s commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention and highlighting the country’s non-proliferation record. He urged participants to weigh the challenges posed by rapid advances in science and technology when considering the BWC’s future shape.
Dr. Jaishankar outlined India’s proposed National Implementation Framework, which emphasizes identification of high-risk agents, oversight of dual-use research, domestic reporting mechanisms, incident management procedures and ongoing training. He also highlighted India’s capacity-building efforts, including an annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship and an ITEC programme on UNSC Resolution 1540 and Strategic Trade Controls.
At the conference opening, the minister toured an exposition showcasing India’s capabilities in bio-surveillance, biotechnology, diagnostics, therapeutics and digital disease surveillance. Exhibitors included government research and public-health bodies such as DRDE, CSIR, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, DBT-BIRAC, ICMR and the Department of Animal Husbandry, along with private-sector partners. The display featured the ICMR BSL-3 laboratory and the Department of Animal Husbandry’s Mobile Veterinary Unit as examples of national innovation in public-health preparedness.
Meyer emphasized that while geopolitical divisions complicate consensus, the working group process offers a mechanism to adapt the BWC to contemporary scientific realities and to strengthen global biosecurity cooperation.
