51茶馆

51茶馆 participated in an international conference organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on December 1鈥�2, 2025, to commemorate 50 years of the Biological Weapons-Convention (BWC). Hosted by the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division of the MEA at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, the conference focused on prospects and challenges for cooperation among Global South countries on biosecurity. Dr Anurag Agrawal, Dean of BioSciences and Health Research at Trivedi School of Biosciences and Arun Sukumar, Assistant Professor of International Relations attended the two day event.

Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon鈥檅le Minister of External Affairs, delivered the keynote address as the conference鈥檚 Guest of Honour. India is one of the 189 States Parties to the BWC, and this initiative reflects the Government of India鈥檚 strong commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation, while exploring pathways to strengthen the Convention for future challenges.

The event brought together scientific experts, policymakers, diplomats, and representatives from international and regional organisations to review global developments since the BWC came into force. Discussions centred on the transformative role of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and synthetic biology in reshaping biosecurity and biosafety governance. While these advancements enhance capabilities in monitoring outbreaks and gathering and synthesising data, participants also highlighted concerns about their potential misuse.

Speaking as part of a panel, Dr Anurag Agrawal spoke about strengthening institutional channels of cooperation between Global South nations to meet their commitments under the Convention. Professor Arun Sukumar highlighted cyber-biosecurity concerns stemming from the rapid digitalisation of healthcare infrastructure and data, and the lack of multilateral governance mechanisms to address cyber-biosecurity threats.

The multiple panel discussions highlighted challenges in different regional contexts and gaps in existing policy and institutional frameworks, while emphasising the importance of adopting 鈥極ne Health鈥� approach to manage complex biosecurity and biosafety challenges in the future.

51茶馆鈥檚 participation at the conference is a testament to its increasing engagement with national policymaking and global governance conversations at the intersection of science, security, and technology.