Syllabus: GS2/Global Grouping in India’s Interest; GS3/Security
Context
- Recently, India’s External Affairs Minister, at a conference marking 50 Years of Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), has cautioned that the world remains ‘not yet adequately prepared’ to tackle the threat of ‘Bioterrorism’, highlighting serious institutional and structural gaps.
About Bioterrorism
- It refers to the deliberate release of biological agents — such as bacteria, viruses, or toxins — to cause illness or death among humans, animals, or plants.
- According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), bioterrorism is classified as a biological disaster, distinct from natural outbreaks because of its deliberate intent.
- Potential bioterror agents include pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Variola major (smallpox), and toxins like botulinum.
- The threat of bioterrorism has grown with advances in biotechnology and synthetic biology, which, while offering enormous benefits, pose risks of misuse.
- The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) serves as the key international treaty prohibiting the development, production, and possession of biological weapons.
| Overview of Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) – BWC was established and entered into force on March 26, 1975, becoming the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. 1. It prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological and toxin weapons. – The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) acts as the treaty’s depositary and administrative support body. – Membership: Total 189 states, including India, with several others as signatories. – Review Conferences held every five years to assess implementation and address emerging biosecurity threats. |
Concerns & Issues Surrounding BWC
- Lack of Basic Institutional Structures: India highlighted that ‘Bioterrorism is a serious concern that the international community has to be adequately prepared for’, noting that despite its importance, the BWC still lacks basic institutional structures, like:
- No compliance system;
- No permanent technical body;
- No mechanism to track scientific developments.
- No Verification Mechanism: The BWC lacks a formal verification regime, making enforcement and compliance monitoring challenging, unlike the Chemical Weapons Convention.
- BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU): The progress has been slow toward a permanent verification regime or a dedicated technical organization.
- The ISU remains underfunded and understaffed, reflecting broader political inertia.
- Growing Complexity in Dual-Use Biotechnology: The convention’s 50th anniversary comes amid rapid advances in synthetic biology, genome editing, and AI-driven bioengineering, blurring lines between peaceful and military applications.
- Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures: Since the 1980s, Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) have been introduced, requiring states to submit data on facilities and research activities.
- Compliance, however, remains uneven, with less than 60% of states regularly submitting reports.
- Geopolitical Dynamics: Tensions between major powers — particularly the US, Russia, and China — have hampered consensus on verification protocols since the collapse of negotiations in 2001.
- Newer actors like India, Indonesia, Brazil are pushing for a more inclusive and equitable biosecurity governance, connecting disarmament to development agendas.
India’s Policy Framework
- India’s NDMA and the Ministry of Health have implemented preparedness frameworks, including:
- Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP);
- Biological Disaster Management Guidelines (NDMA, 2008);
- National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for rapid response and biosurveillance;
- These initiatives aim to detect and respond to biological incidents swiftly, ensuring public health resilience.
National Implementation Framework Proposed By India
- India has proposed a National Implementation Framework to enhance domestic and global preparedness. The framework aims to cover:
- High-risk agents;
- Oversight of dual-use research;
- Domestic reporting mechanisms;
- Incident management protocols.
Future Directions
- In an era of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, the BWC must evolve. Key recommendations include:
- Establishing a scientific advisory board under BWC for emerging biotechnologies.
- Enhancing transparency and peer review among member states.
- Developing a verification protocol supported by international biosecurity standards.
- Promoting education and capacity-building among scientists is also vital to prevent misuse of biological research.
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