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India demands tangible steps for nuclear weapons free world

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Oct 8, IRNA
India-Nuclear Weapons
India has demanded multilateral negotiations on prohibiting development, production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons as also destruction of current atomic arsenals for their "global, non-discriminatory and verifiable" elimination within a specified timeframe.

In a working paper on nuclear disarmament presented to the United Nations General Assembly, India affirmed its commitment to a nuclear weapons free world and asked the nuclear weapons states to " unequivocally" pledge progressive downsizing of stockpiles leading to complete disarmament, media report said here.

The possibility of terrorists and other non state actors acquiring the weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons and "dirty bombs", has added a new dimension and urgency to nuclear disarmament, it said.

India also asks nuclear weapons states to take measures to reduce nuclear danger, including the risks of accidental nuclear war by de- alerting of nuclear weapons.

Pointing out that non-nuclear states have persistently sought legally- binding assurances, it called for "universal and legally binding" agreement on non-use of nuclear weapons against non nuclear weapons states and convention on complete prohibition of use or threat to use nuclear weapons.

India also offered to join multilateral negotiations to enshrine the commitment of "no-first" use of and non use of nuclear weapons against non nuclear weapons states in legally binding agreements.

"An agreement among the states possessing nuclear weapons on a global 'no-first-use' posture will engender stability and reduce danger of the accidental or unintended use of nuclear weapons," said the paper presented yesterday.

The paper said that international efforts in nuclear disarmament would yield tangible results only when they are backed by
international consensus.

Recognizing that goal of complete elimination of atomic weapons cannot be achieved till states possessing them continue to believe that they constitute a crucial element of their security strategy, the paper called for reducing salience of nuclear weapons in strategic and security doctrine and policies.

This, it said, is essential, for realizing the goal. "Alignment of nuclear doctrines to a posture of 'no-first-use' and 'non-use' against non-nuclear weapon states by all nuclear weapon states will be an important steps towards achieving the objective."

Stressing that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing, the paper demanded an "effective, credible and comprehensive" system of export controls which does not hinder " legitimate application" of science and technology for peaceful and development purposes.

Non-proliferation polices, the Indian working paper emphasized, must also be forward looking so as to allow for expansion of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for the states desiring to increase their share of nuclear power as a non polluting energy source.

The paper is mainly based on the proposals presented by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to the UN General Assembly in 1988. The international community, it said, succeeded in negotiating conventions on total elimination of biological and chemical weapons and there is no reason why nuclear weapons cannot be eliminated in the same manner.

A prohibition on the first use of nuclear weapons would be essential for their eventual elimination.

The international community is far from achieving the objective of total elimination of nuclear weapons though some progress has been made with Russia and the United States taking steps to reduce their arsenals, the paper said.

However, not only the global threat has not subsided but another dimension has been added with possibility of terrorists and non state actors acquiring such arms.

The international security situation is still characterized by lack of trust and political will amongst states to make progress towards complete elimination of nuclear weapons, it stressed.

The paper listed various initiatives taken by India over years.

In 1954, New Delhi called for a ban on nuclear testing. In 1965, India presented a proposal for non discriminatory treaty on non- proliferation predicated on steps towards elimination of weapons of mass destruction. In 1976, New Delhi negotiations for an international convention that would prohibit the use or threat to use of nuclear weapons and 1982, India called for nuclear freeze.

In 1988, Rajiv Gandhi presented an action plan which called for elimination of nuclear weapons in a time bound program.

In this context, the paper pointed out that the UN general assembly, in its very first resolution adopted unanimously in 1946, sought the elimination, from national armaments, of atomic weapons and all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction and to use of atomic energy only for peaceful purposes, a goal that has been reaffirmed by it on several occasions.

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