Madame Chair,

I would like to thank the United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Panama for presenting their Working Papers in the framework of MX5.  I wish to congratulate the Russian Federation on the successful organization of the Sochi Conference on Biosecurity in June this year, in which Indiahad the privilege to participate.My colleague, Subhashini is very envious as me as well as others, who could visit one of the most beautiful places in Russia, as she participated only through virtual platform.

Institutional strengthening is a key aspect to ensure full and effective implementation of the Convention which in turn requires implementation of all the articles ofBWC.  Any Convention or Treaty is as good as its implementation by the States Parties.

As of today, 183 States are party to BWC. Bringing the remaining States on board is one of the major challenges in effective implementation of the Convention. One of our main aims, therefore, should be universalisation of the Convention.  One of the major incentives for joining the Convention is opportunity for States Parties to receive assistance and protection against the malicious use of biological agents. Article VII is a provision for international solidarity as it foresees States Parties to assist one another in case the requesting State has been exposed to danger as a result of violation of the Convention.Thus, it also serves as a strong incentive for universalization of the Convention. In this context, India and France have proposed establishment of a database for assistance in the framework of Article VII.

Madame Chair,

With rapid developments in Science and Technology resulting in ease of access to dual use technologies to various non-State actors, the potential threat from bio-terrorism has grown. Recognizing the importance of building broad-based support for strengthening implementation of Article III, India, along with the United States, submitted a Working Paper titled ‘Strengthening Implementation of Article III of the BTWC’. Effective implementation of Article III would also ensure that cooperation envisaged under Article X is taken forward in mutual confidence. Equitable benefits for States Parties, in particular developing countries, resulting from effective implementation of Article X, will also help in promoting universalisation of the Convention.

Madame Chair,

India believes that the establishment of a Scientific Review Mechanism is essential for institutional strengthening of the Convention.The benefitsofsuch mechanism that would advise State Parties on the latest developments in S&T which impact the Convention and, especially so for developing countries is widely acknowledged. 

CBMshave served as an important transparency measure to enhance trust but are not a substitute for an effective mechanism for verification and compliance. The utility of the CBMs has been limited due to the irregularity of their submissions. India has been up to date in submission of its CBMs. We hope that new e-CBM platform will assist State Parties and we urge fellow State Parties to submit CBMs in time. 

Article VI allows a State Party to request the UN Security Council to initiate an investigation into alleged breaches of the BWC by another State Party. India has maintained that issues related to alleged use should be addressed by the States Parties strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.

Unlike CWC, BWC lacks a Technical Secretariat. While, theImplementation Support Unit (ISU) has been doing excellent work, it lacks adequate resources both financial and human and may not be able to meet effectively the growing demands on the Convention and the increasing expectations of the States Parties. There is thus a pressing need to strengthen the ISU and place it on a strong and sustainable footing. Furthermore, we must ensure the financial health of the Convention by ensuring both stability and predictability in resources. There is still a shortfall of funds owing to the late payment of assessed contributions and outstanding arrears. India has always met all its financial obligations under the Convention on time. We urge all States Parties to ensure that their financial contributions are made in time and all outstanding arrears are paid at the earliest.A Working Capital fund through assessed contributions instead of voluntary contributions as is the case now is essential for stability of funding both the ISU and programmatic function.  It is equally important that we strengthen the Inter-Sessional Process, particularly the Meetings of State Parties and reinforce their authority for taking and implementing effective decisions.       

Madame Chair,

We reiterate our call for institutional strengthening of the Convention, through negotiation of a comprehensive and legally binding Protocol, providing for an effective, universal and non-discriminatory verification mechanism to strengthen the implementation of the Convention by States Parties.While recognising that there is no consensus on commencing negotiations for a legally binding Protocol at present, India strongly believes that the long-term sustainability of the Convention should be rooted in legally binding measures with States Parties placing collective confidence in the Convention.

Successive review conferences have emphasized the value of coordination and cooperation with relevant International Organizations like WHO, OIE, OPCW, FAO, etc. We would like to reinforce this idea and call for enhancing cooperation in an institutionalized manner. 

Madame Chair,

India stands ready to work with fellow States Parties for institutional strengthening of the Convention in order to effectively implement all provisions of the Convention.

I thank you.