"Disease Must Never Be A Weapon": Jaishankar Flags Rising Biosecurity Risks At BWC Meet

At the 50th anniversary of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a powerful warning that “disease must never be used as a weapon.” He reminded the global community that the BWC was the first international treaty to outlaw an entire class of weapons of mass destruction and remains the crucial moral and legal barrier between biological innovation and misuse. Jaishankar highlighted the rising risks posed by rapid biotech advances, cheaper genetic tools, and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that biological threats- natural or deliberate move fast and ignore borders.Calling for stronger biosecurity systems, especially in the Global South, he warned that uneven preparedness creates global v ulnerability. He underscored India’s leadership:  – 60% of global vaccines  – 20% of world generics  – 11,000 biotech startups  – Advanced BSL-3/4 labs Reaffirming India’s commitment to global health security, he said solidarity, not suspicion, must define the next 50 years of the BWC.