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Today marks the fortieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Biological Weapons Convention, the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. Over the past four decades, the Biological Weapons Convention has made an important contribution towards collective efforts to eliminate such threats. Today, the norm against the use and possession of biological weapons remains strong, and no country identifies itself as possessing biological weapons.
今天是《生物武器公约》生效40周年之日。《公约》是第一项禁止一整类大规模毁灭性武器的多边裁军条约。40年来，《公约》为共同努力消除此类武器的威胁作出了重要贡献。今天，禁止使用和拥有生物武器的准则依然作用强大，没有任何国家声称本国拥有生物武器。
However, we must remain vigilant. The Eighth Review Conference in 2016 is an opportunity to consolidate progress and consider how to adapt this landmark Convention to the challenges posed by advances in science and technology as well as potential risks posed by terrorists and other non-state actors. I encourage States Parties to think creatively about how to build confidence in compliance with the Convention.
然而，我们必须保持警惕。2016年第八次审议大会是一次机会，可借以巩固已取得的进展，并可审议如何调整这一具有里程碑意义的《公约》，以应对科技进步带来的挑战，同时应对恐怖分子和其他非国家行为者造成的潜在风险。我鼓励缔约国发挥创意，思考如何建立对于遵守《公约》的信任。
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa demonstrates the damage which diseases can inflict, damage which could increase massively were such diseases deliberately misused as weapons. On the other hand, the outbreak also demonstrates the commitment of the international community to respond to such threats, whether natural or deliberate. It also shows the vital role of science in creating better defences. As we witness ever more remarkable breakthroughs in the life sciences, it is incumbent on us to ensure that such advances are used responsibly.
西非爆发的埃博拉病毒病显示，疾病可能造成的破坏是何等严重。若有人蓄意将此类疾病作为武器滥用，还可能使其破坏作用大大增强。另一方面，该疾病的爆发也显示，国际社会决心应对此类威胁，无论是自然产生还是蓄意制造的威胁。它还显示，科学在增强抵御能力方面具有重要作用。我们目睹生命科学日益取得惊人突破，同时也必须确保负责任地使用此类进展。
Forty years after its entry into force, the Biological Weapons Convention now has the support of 173 States parties. I call on the 23 governments that have not yet joined the Convention to do so without delay. In this anniversary year, all countries should reaffirm their unequivocal rejection of the use of disease as a weapon.
在《生物武器公约》生效40年后的今天，已有173个缔约国作为它的后盾。尚有23个国家未加入《公约》。我呼吁这些国家的政府毫不拖延地加入。在纪念《公约》生效40周年的这个年度，所有国家都应重申坚决反对将疾病用作武器的行为。
