75th Session of the UNGA

First Committee

Explanation of Vote of India

on Draft Resolutions under “Regional Disarmament and Security” Cluster

10 November 2020 

L.24: Conventional arms control at the regional and sub regional levels

India has voted against L.24 on “Conventional arms control at the regional and sub-regional levels” as well as its OP2 which requests the Conference on Disarmament to consider the formulation of principles that can serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control. 

The Conference, as the world’s single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, has a vocation of negotiating disarmament instruments of global application. In 1993, the UNDC had, by consensus, adopted guidelines and recommendations on regional disarmament. There is no need, therefore, for the Conference on Disarmament to engage itself in formulating principles on the same subject at a time when it has several other priority issues on its agenda. 

Further, we believe that the security concerns of States extend beyond narrowly defined regions. Consequently, the notion of preservation of a balance in defence capabilities in the regional or sub-regional context, is both unrealistic and unacceptable. We are, therefore, not convinced that conventional arms control, which is a global issue, needs to be pursued primarily in the regional and sub-regional contexts. 

Due to this reason, India has voted against PP7.

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