India is one of the 189 States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), a majority of them being developing countries. In line with its strong commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation, this conference is an initiative of the Government of India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Convention’s entry into force.
Through discussions with scientific experts, policy makers and diplomats from different countries and representatives from international and regional organisations, the event seeks to take stock of the contribution of the BWC to international peace and security, review the global developments since its entry into force, especially those in the sphere of public health governance following the COVID-19 pandemic, and outline its complementarities with multilateral export control regimes, such as the Australia Group. We will also explore the way forward to strengthen the BWC for addressing future challenges.
The Global South bears a disproportionate impact of contemporary and rapidly evolving biosecurity and biosafety challenges that in turn have interlinkages with the commitments under the Convention. The panel discussions will highlight the challenges in different regional contexts and gaps in existing policy and institutional frameworks. They will underscore the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach to tackling these complex biosecurity and biosafety challenges. The prospects for furthering international cooperation and strengthening biosecurity partnerships globally, particularly with the Global South, will be in focus.
This anniversary offers an opportune moment to reflect on the significance of new and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, for life-sciences. While these advancements have immense potential to bolster preparedness and response to public health emergencies, they also raise serious concerns regarding misuse, especially arising from access to non-state actors. We will reflect on the need for greater regulation and oversight.