Top official warns biological weapons ‘must not only be unthinkable but impossible’
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said on Wednesday that the world came together 50 years ago to ban biological weapons and in today’s volatile geopolitical climate we can ill-afford to let this moral safeguard “erode”.
Biological Weapons Convention marked the 50th anniversary of the entry into force, the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.
UN chief António Guterres hailed the Convention as a cornerstone of international peace and security, having contributed over five decades to “collective efforts to reject the use of disease as a weapon.”
Over 188 countries are party to the convention, which effectively prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons.
The BWC stands as a safeguard, ensuring that advances in biology and biotechnology are used solely for “peaceful purposes” and not to trigger artificial epidemics that threaten us all, he said
UN Disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu told Member States in Geneva that the BWC “remains a testament to the conscience of humankind”. Yet as technology evolves, so too do potential risks.
“We must ensure the instruments of the 20th century can respond to today’s global 21st century challenges,” stressed Ms. Nakamitsu.
Mr. Guterres urged all States parties to actively participate in the Working Group on Strengthening the BWC – which verifies compliance, capacity-building and assistance and called on the Group to accelerate its efforts in this milestone year.
“These efforts reinforce the commitment in the Pact for the Future, adopted at the United Nations last year, for all countries to pursue a world free of biological weapons,” he said.
She noted that the vast majority of UN Member States have joined the convention, nine countries remain outside.
Guterres called on those governments to ratify the treaty without delay.
UN disarmament affairs office, UNODA, is working to support the convention’s implementation – especially in Africa where it has engaged 100 young scientists through the Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship in the last five years.
“Together, let us stand united against biological weapons,” he said .
The world grapples with new global health challenges and geopolitical uncertainty, the BWC remains a vital barrier against the misuse of science.
Mr. Guterres said it is essential to prevent biological weapons from ever being used again whether in conflict, acts of terror, or by accident.
“Let’s use this occasion to recognize that the use of biological weapons must not only be unthinkable but also impossible”, Ms. Nakamitsu concluded.
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