Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention and the Indian state practice / B. C. Nirmal
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Article
Title:
Implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention and the Indian state practice
Author zone:
B. C. Nirmal
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English
Abstract:
The 1972 UN Biological Weapons Convention (the Convention) has remained relevant thanks to Review Conferences held every five years and Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), but critically lacks an enforcement protocol. India’s approach to the Convention is particularly interesting for study: it has been shaped by its large life science community, bio-technology industry, and firm commitment to UN policies of disarmament and non-proliferation of WMDs including biological weapons. India has used the Review Conferences to air its views on issues related to the Convention, most importantly that the legal norms against biological weapons embodied in the Convention must be strengthened. Specifically, India has argued that the norms detailed in Article I can serve as a shield for the misuse of bio-technology as envisaged under Article X. India believes that the CBMs are not a sufficient replacement for a multilaterally agreed, and legally binding, mechanism for verification of compliance, something that is critically important for collective reassurance about the realization of the provisions of the Convention. India has a broad-based regulatory framework to prevent the misuse of biological sciences and technology, and it wants to assist other States Parties seeking support in strengthening their respective national systems of bio-security. [Summary by students at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (IHRP)]
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