Permanent Mission of India

Conference on Disarmament

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Statement by Ambassador & PR Anupam Ray at the Conference on Disarmament Plenary during thematic session on ‘Promoting transparency, including doctrines and arsenals’, under agenda item 7, Geneva, May 30, 2024

Mr. President,

Thank you for organizing this discussion. I would also like to thank the distinguished panelists.

India believes that transparency in armaments is a necessary tool for confidence building and enhancing mutual trust among States. It must aim to secure the widest possible participation of States in contributing effectively to the process of confidence building.

We believe that measures relating to transparency in armaments should be mutually agreed upon by all States and appropriately take into account national security imperatives.

Measures to enhance transparency in armaments must respect the inherent right of States to self-defence as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Such measures cannot restrict or prejudice the legitimate right of States to acquire or produce arms for self-defence and in pursuit of their national security interests.

Mr. President,

India is a Nuclear Weapon State, and as a responsible Nuclear Weapons State, has a policy of maintaining a credible minimum deterrence based on a No-First Use posture and non-use against non-nuclear weapons states.

As a nuclear weapon state, India believes that transparency in respect of nuclear weapons cannot be considered in isolation.  It should be situated in the context of an agreed multilateral framework, involving all states possessing nuclear weapons, consistent with their national security interests.

Mr. President,

India is not an NPT signatory and does not wish to join in any discussions that feed into intra-NPT processes or discussions.

Thank you.

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