The recent High-level Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (26th September 2020) witnessed India’s renewed commitment towards a step-by-step, non-discriminatory eradication of nuclear weapons. Here’s an exploration of this stance, its fundamental facets and global reactions.
India’s Stance on No First Use (NFU)
India adheres firmly to its policy of No First Use (NFU) against nations possessing nuclear weapons, and assures non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states. This unchanged commitment signals that India does not intend to revise its primary perspectives concerning the NFU principle. In 2019, however, there were suggestions of a possible re-evaluation of this policy when the Defence Minister stated that ‘circumstances’ would determine the NFU stance.
Support for Global Disarmament Efforts
As a key partner in worldwide attempts towards disarmament, India continues to strengthen the non-proliferation order. It advocates achieving nuclear disarmament through an incremental approach, reinforced by universal commitment and consensus within a multilateral framework. This should occur post substantive conversations among all nuclear-armed states to build trust and mutual confidence.
Backing Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention & FMCT
India’s support extends to the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the sole multilateral disarmament negotiation forum globally. Recognizing the importance of comprehensive, binding agreements, India backs the initiation of negotiations on a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention at the CD. It remains committed to discussions about a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the CD, a proposed international agreement prohibiting the production of key components of nuclear weapons: highly-enriched Uranium and Plutonium.
Global Endeavours Towards Nuclear Disarmament
Major worldwide initiatives towards nuclear disarmament include the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the New START Treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation. Notably, India has not ratified the NPT and CTBT.
International Day for Total Nuclear Weapon Elimination
In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 26th September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Nuclear Abolition Day). This day promotes public education and awareness about the existential threat nuclear weapons pose to humanity and stresses the need for their complete elimination. The global goal of nuclear disarmanship is one of UNGA’s longest-standing objectives. The UNGA resolution establishing this day also calls for progress towards a nuclear weapons convention, a global treaty that involves nuclear-armed nations in prohibiting and eliminating nuclear weapons under strict international control.
