United Nations, India is committed to the goal of a nuclear weapons free world and complete elimination of nuclear weapons, and maintains a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at the United Nations Security Council on Monday.
In his address on ‘Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty’, Shringla said that India has played a leading role in global efforts towards nuclear disarmament.
“India was the first country to call for a ban on nuclear testing in 1954 and a non-discriminatory treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, as distinct from non-dissemination, in 1965.”
India is committed to the goal of a nuclear weapons-free world and complete elimination of nuclear weapons. This goal can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework, as outlined in India’s Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the UN General Assembly in 2006, he said.
India had participated in the negotiations of the draft CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty) in the Conference on Disarmament. But India could not join as the Treaty did not address a number of core concerns raised by India, he added.
“India maintains a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosive testing,” he outlined.
India would continue to work in the framework of the Disarmament Triad-Conference on Disarmament, UNDC (UN Disarmament Commission) and the First Committee of UNGA – to strengthen the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation architecture, the Foreign Secretary emphasised.
India has actively supported and contributed to the strengthening of the global nuclear security architecture.
“India participated in the Nuclear Security Summit process and has regularly participated in the International Conferences on Nuclear Security organized by the IAEA. India is also a member of the Nuclear Security Contact Group,” he added.
India is a key partner in the global non-proliferation efforts.
“One of the important steps taken undertaken by us is the piloting of an annual UN General Assembly Resolution on “Measures to prevent terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction” since 2002, which is adopted by consensus,” he said.
UN Security Council Resolution 1540 is an important instrument for global non-proliferation efforts. “There is need for the international community to pay closer attention to the illicit proliferation of networks of nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, components and relevant technologies.”
“With the objective of strengthening the non-proliferation architecture, India has also joined various export control regimes, namely, Australia Group, Wassenaar Arrangement, Missile Technology Control Regime, and has harmonized its controls with the Nuclear Suppliers Group lists,” he added.