Statement by Mr. D.B. Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament

BWC Meeting of States Parties
Geneva, December 1 2014

Mr. Chairman,
It is a pleasure to congratulate you on the assumption of Chair of the Meeting of States Parties to the BWC this year. We thank you for your diligent and professional efforts in conducting consultations preparatory for this meeting.

2.  India associates itself with the statement made by the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and Other States Parties to the BWC.

Mr. Chairman,

3.  As the first disarmament treaty banning an entire class of weapons of mass destruction, India attaches high importance to the BWC. We have participated actively in the meetings of the inter-sessional programme which have the mandate of promoting common understanding and effective action on issues identified by the Seventh Review Conference.

4.  India remains committed to improving the effectiveness of the BWC and strengthening its implementation and universalization. We believe this is necessary in view of the new challenges to international peace and security emanating from proliferation trends, including the threat posed by terrorists or other non-state actors seeking access to biological agents or toxins for terrorist purposes. It is the responsibility of States Parties to ensure that their commitments and obligations under the Convention are fully and effectively implemented. We believe that only a multilaterally agreed mechanism for verification of compliance can provide the assurance of compliance by States Parties of obligations under the Convention and act as a deterrence against non-compliance. India shares the widespread interest amongst States Parties to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the implementation of the Convention through the negotiation and conclusion of a Protocol for that purpose covering all provisions of the Convention. India has submitted its CBMs in 2014 and is thus up to date in this regard.

Mr. Chairman,

5.  The standing agenda item on review of S&T developments presents the best opportunity for States Parties to keep pace with the rapid developments in biological science and technology which might impact the implementation of the Convention. There were useful discussions under this agenda item last year. Our focus this year should continue to be on high risk dual use research with specific focus on advances in our understanding of pathogenicity, virulence, toxicology and immunology. Our aim should also be to seek greater clarity on aspects of range of types and quantities of such agents and toxins, whether naturally occurring or altered which potentially could pose a risk to the Convention, for the purpose of reaching common understandings on criteria for assessing risks of relevance to the Convention.

6.  In our view, measures taken to mitigate biological risks should be proportional to the assessed risk and not hamper legitimate peaceful activities including international cooperation. Further, there should be no hindrance to peaceful activities such as vaccine development, which are important for developing countries for meeting their public health needs. India looks forward to continuing discussions on Codes of Conduct and education and awareness raising to explore ways to achieve further progress under the Convention. We should continue to explore various proposals on conducting S&T review under the Convention in the run up to the next Review Conference, including the proposal made by India in the working paper submitted to the last Review Conference. 

7.  India supports the full and effective implementation of Article X as an integral and essential part of compliance of the Convention. There is need for efforts to identify and overcome obstacles in implementation of Article X to generate equitable benefits for States Parties, in particular developing countries.  India has regularly shared its experiences in implementation of Article X in previous BWC meetings and has now submitted a Working Paper containing its National Report on Article X Implementation. This Report includes the announcements made by India’s Prime Minister at the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu on 26 November 2014 that India was prepared to extend support for SAARC countries for the Regional reference laboratory for TB and HIV, vaccines for children, polio monitoring and surveillance and immediate visas for those seeking medical treatment in India.

8.  While India continues to attach high importance to the full and effective implementation of Article X, we believe that strengthened implementation of Article III would ensure that the cooperation envisaged under Article X is not abused. Thus effective national export controls are important tools to prevent the misuse of biological agents and toxins for purposes prohibited by the Convention or falling into the hands of terrorists, which is a major concern for the international community.  

9.  India has strong and law-based national export controls and is committed to maintaining the highest international standards with reference to control of biological agents and toxins to ensure that transfers are authorised only when the intended use is for purposes not prohibited under the Convention. In this regard, we welcome the Working Paper on elements for effective national export controls submitted by the United States and others in the Meeting of Experts in August this year as a useful contribution to our discussions for promoting common understanding and effective action in the context of the BWC. 

10.  The standing agenda item on National Implementation provides a ready platform for States Parties to share and learn from their national experiences in the implementation of the Convention. We have emphasized the responsibility of States Parties to fully implement their obligations under the Convention and adopt requisite national measures to this end. India has a broad based regulatory framework to prevent the misuse of biological science and technology, including effective export controls matching the highest international standards. We also support assistance to States Parties for strengthening their national systems for bio-safety and bio-security. 

11.  India views Article VII assistance as a legal obligation of States Parties, as clearly laid out in the Convention and as agreed in previous Review Conference documents. An event relating to violation of the BWC is more than a public health emergency under the IHR (2005). While coordination and cooperation with relevant UN bodies such as the WHO, FAO, OIE, etc. are important complementary measures,  it is clear that the lack of a comprehensive Protocol to strengthen implementation of all aspects of the BWC has created a gap in the international community’s capacity to respond effectively and  provide assistance to States Parties to the BWC. Pending the conclusion of a comprehensive Protocol, a separate data-base on Assistance under Article VII could be a useful first step in bridging this gap.

Mr. Chairman,

12.  The ongoing Ebola Virus Disease outbreak has caused considerable concern as a major international public health emergency. India announced a contribution of more than US $ 12 million to the Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the WHO and the purchase of protective gear for addressing this outbreak. In August 2014, India had provided immediate bilateral financial assistance for purchase of medical supplies to three of the affected countries – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Republic of Guinea.  Diagnostic support was provided to Sri Lanka through WHO-SEARO for diagnosis of suspected Ebola.

13.  Though there is nothing to suggest that this outbreak is an event of concern to the BWC, we believe it holds important lessons for the international community including all of us gathered here as States Parties to the BWC. Therefore, there may be merit in an exchange of views and perceptions,  including on the following:  the preventive, preparedness, response and recovery activities at the national, regional  and international level related to such an outbreak ; whether the existing modalities of international response allow for timely and adequate support and assistance to the affected countries and peoples including first responders and health care workers; and ways to assure timely access to affordable drugs and vaccines and related diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic equipment to affected people especially those in developing countries at a time when major pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to invest in relevant drugs and vaccines before there is an assured market. We hope that such a discussion will yield valuable ‘lessons-learnt’ of relevance to the BWC, including those Articles which are on the agenda of this Meeting of States Parties.

Mr. Chairman,

14.  We appreciate your efforts with respect to promoting the universalization of the Convention.  We have noted recent changes in the staffing of the ISU, which should continue to work within the mandate set out by the Seventh Review Conference.  We support the 2012-2015 Inter-sessional Programme as decided by the Seventh Review Conference and will continue to contribute actively in the meetings scheduled for 2015.

Thank you.