Jaishankar’s warning

December 2, 2025

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday warned that the threat of biological weapons falling into the hands of non-state actors is growing rapidly and can no longer be viewed as a remote scenario. Speaking at a conference marking 50 years of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), he called for a major overhaul of global biosecurity systems and stressed that the convention must be updated to address current scientific and security realities.

Jaishankar said the BWC, despite its importance, still lacks essential features such as an institutional structure, a compliance mechanism, a permanent technical body and a system to track scientific and technological advancements. According to him, these gaps weaken global preparedness and confidence, especially at a time when bioterrorism remains a serious concern.
He reiterated India’s longstanding position in favour of introducing effective verification measures and establishing processes to monitor new developments in biotechnology. He said regular scientific reviews were necessary to ensure that international governance keeps pace with innovation and emerging risks. The minister also outlined the key features of India’s National Implementation Framework, which includes the identification of high-risk biological agents, oversight of dual-use research, domestic reporting systems, incident response mechanisms and continuous capacity-building.