India cites COVID-19 as it highlights importance of bioweapon accord
The Biological Weapons Convention came into effect in 1975 and 183 countries are parties to it. The convention calls for prohibition to development, production and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons.
India has mentioned the ongoing COVID-19 crisis on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the entry into force of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC).
While reiterating the "high importance" that New Delhi attached to the bioweapon accord, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, "The global economic and social implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have underlined the need for international cooperation, including institutional strengthening of the World Health Organisation."
The Biological Weapons Convention came into effect in 1975 and 183 countries are parties to it. The convention calls for prohibition to development, production and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons.
The MEA in the release said, "India strongly believes that the BWC must respond effectively to the challenges posed by the new and emerging scientific and technological developments of relevance to the convention."
Pointing out that India has been "highlighting the dangers from the possible use, in future, of microorganisms as biological weapons by terrorists", MEA said that it "takes this opportunity to call upon all States Parties to the BWC to recommit themselves to full and effective implementation of the convention and full compliance with it, in letter and spirit."
Interestingly, both the United States and Russia raised COVID on the 45th anniversary of the biological weapons convention.
The United States Bureau of International Security & Nonproliferation in a tweet said, "We observe the 45th anniversary of the #BiologicalWeaponsConvention and reaffirm the importance of #BWC Parties’ commitments to preventing biological weapons. The #Covid-19 pandemic highlights the importance of #BWC Parties’ commitments to reducing all biological risks."
Russia said, "While the international community is making all possible efforts to counter the global spread of the coronavirus, we would like to draw attention to the significant date" which is the "45th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BTWC)."