Using disease as weapon is no longer a ‘distant possibility’: Jaishankar cautions against misuse of bio-weapons

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (01 Dec) cautioned that the threat of Diseases and dangerous pathogens being misused by non-state actors is not a "distant possibility" or a theoretical concern, and called for sweeping reforms in the biosecurity architecture under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

"Misuse by non-state actors is no longer a distant possibility. Bioterrorism is a serious concern that the international community has to be adequately prepared for," Jaishankar said while addressing a two-day conference on '50 years of the Biological Weapons Convention: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South'.

Underlining the structural Insufficiencies in the convention that has been at the forefront of Biological security, the minister stated, “It has no compliance system, it has no permanent technical body and no mechanism to track new scientific developments. These gaps must be bridged to strengthen confidence."

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Jaishankar restated India's long-standing position seeking stronger compliance systems under the BWC, including verification designed for the needs of contemporary times, and systematic review of scientific and technological advancements to ensure governance keeps pace with innovation.

Highlighting New Delhi's vision, Jaishankar proposed a comprehensive National Implementation Framework that calls for high-risk agent identification, oversight of dual-use research, domestic reporting, incident management, and continuous training. He emphasised that assistance during biological emergencies must be "fast, practical, and purely humanitarian."

“For 50 years, BWC has stood by one simple idea: That humanity rejects disease as a weapon. But norms survive only when nations renew them…We must modernise the Convention, we must keep pace with science and strengthen global capacity so that all countries can detect, prevent and respond to biological risks,” he said.

India stands ready as a trusted partner of the Global South and a committed supporter of global biosecurity, he added.

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The Minister also reaffirmed New Delhi's commitment towards contributing positively in the domain. He highlighted India's rise as a health and biotech hub, with production of the world's 60 per cent of vaccines in the country, supplying over 20 per cent of global generic medicine and a growing ecosystem of more than 11,000 biotech startups.