NEW DELHI, Dec 1 (KUNA) -- India on Monday called on the Global South to play a decisive role in strengthening bio-security through robust commitment to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
Addressing a conference on '50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention: Strengthening Bio-security for the Global South,' in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar elaborated on the role of India and the Global South in modernising the Convention.
With representatives from more than 80 countries in attendance, Jaishankar emphasized the need for ensuring that the Biological Weapons Convention remains the guardrail between innovation and misuse in the life sciences in an uncertain international security environment.
He also appealed to modernize the Convention with stronger compliance measures, keeping pace with S&T and strengthening global capacity as the BWC lacks basic institutional structures like compliance system, permanent technical body or tracking mechanism for new scientific developments. The Indian minister also appealed for international cooperation for modernizing the Convention as biological threat moves fast, defies borders and overwhelms systems.
Jaishankar also wants the Global South to engage actively to shape the next 50 years of BWC as it has most to gain from stronger biosecurity and also the most to contribute.
He also highlighted India's commitment to full and effective implementation of the Convention and ensuring non-proliferation of sensitive and dual-use goods & technologies. (end) atk.gb