New Delhi: India is committed to the goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world and complete elimination of nuclear weapons, Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla said on Monday (September 27) and gave a clarion call to work against "illicit proliferation" of Nuke weapon systems.
He said this would be "consistent with the highest priority" accorded to nuclear disarmament by the Final Document of the First Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament (SSOD-I).
Addressing the UNSC meeting on "Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty," he said 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."
India maintains a voluntary and unilateral 'moratorium' on nuclear explosive testing, he pointed out.
"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," he said.
"India is a key partner in the global non-proliferation efforts. One of the important steps undertaken by us in this context is the piloting of an annual UN General Assembly Resolution on the Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction since 2002, which is adopted by consensus," he said.
Mr Shringla said the Security Council Resolution 1540 is an important instrument for global non-proliferation efforts.
To strengthen the non-proliferation architecture, India has also joined various export control regimes: Australia Group, Wassenaar Arrangement, Missile Technology Control Regime and has harmonized its controls with the Nuclear Suppliers Group lists.
"We hope that the international community will continue to work towards realizing our collective aspiration for a nuclear weapons free world," the Foreign Secretary said.
The Conference on Disarmament decided to establish an ad hoc committee on a ban on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
The Conference directs the Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate a non-discriminatory, multilateral and international and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
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