India committed to nuclear weapons-free world: Foreign Secy Shringla at UNSC

New Delhi: India is committed to the goal of a nuclear weapons free world and complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the world, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday said at the United Nations Security Council meeting.

“We believe that 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,” Shringla added.

Shringla’s remarks came while addressing the United Nations Security Council meeting on ‘Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)’.

During the address, Foreign Secretary also added that “India maintains a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosive testing.”

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 a key partner in the global non-proliferation efforts. One of the important steps undertaken by India in this context 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.

“There is a 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,” Foreign Secretary added.

Shringla, during his address, also informed that India would continue to work in the framework of the Disarmament Triad comprising the Conference on Disarmament, the UN Disarmament Commission and the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, to strengthen the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation architecture.

“As the world’s sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, the Conference on Disarmament is well placed to advance the global disarmament agenda and negotiate legally binding instruments on items on its core agenda,” Shringla said.

With the objective of strengthening 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.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also urged that the international community should continue to work towards realizing the collective aspiration for a nuclear-weapon-free world.