India’s Explanation of Vote (PRE-VOTING): Conventional Weapons Cluster - 78th UNGA First Committee, UNHQ, New York, October 2023
India’s Explanation of Vote (PRE-VOTING)
Conventional Weapons Cluster
78th UNGA First Committee, UNHQ, New York, October 2023
L.39: Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction
India will abstain on L.39. India supports the vision of a world free of antipersonnel landmines and is committed to their eventual elimination. The availability of militarily effective alternative technologies that can perform, cost effectively, the legitimate defensive role of anti-personnel landmines will considerably facilitate the goal of the complete elimination of anti-personnel mines. India is a High Contracting Party to AP-II of the CCW which enshrines the approach of taking into account the legitimate defense requirements of States, especially those with long borders.
India has fulfilled its obligations under AP-II including inter alia stopping the production of non-detectable mines as well as rendering all our anti-personnel mines detectable. India is observing a moratorium on the export and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
We have taken a number of measures to address humanitarian concerns arising from the use of anti-personnel landmines in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.
India remains committed to increased international cooperation and assistance for mine clearance as well as rehabilitation of mine-victims and has been contributing technical assistance and expertise to this end.
India also regularly participates as an Observer at the Meetings of States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.
L.42: The Arms Trade Treaty
India has established strong and effective national export controls with respect to export of defense items. India subscribes to the objective of the ATT and our export control system meets those objectives. As part of our commitment to international transparency measures, India submits an annual report under the United Nations Register on Conventional Arms for the same categories of conventional arms that are regulated under the ATT. Our commitment is also reflected in India’s participation in Wassenaar Arrangement. India continues to keep the ATT under review from the perspective of our defense, security and foreign policy interests. We will therefore abstain on the resolution L.42.
