Statement by Commodore Nitin Parvataneni, Director (Military Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs at the OEWG on Conventional Ammunition, New York, 13 February 2023
Thank you Chair. The Indian delegation takes this opportunity to wish the Distinguished Chair, his dedicated team, our esteemed colleagues, fellow delegates and the committed UN staff a very Good morning and Happy new year.
2. A wise man once said "The literate of the 21st century are not those who can read and write but those who can learn, unlearn and relearn". We are very encouraged to note that this has been the case in this group over the past few deliberations on the demanding subject of conventional ammunition management. It is therefore a privilege for the Indian delegation to go through this learning process with a set of like minded colleagues in this room.
3. Our delegation is focused on supporting a global framework that meets the following conditions-
(a). Lays out clearly the strategic aim and objectives therein.
(b). Caters to the varying capacities and therefore arrives at only those specific measures that not only could be agreed upon for commitment by all States, but are implementable by all stakeholders.
(c). Recognises additional measures, where feasible, that may enhance these efforts.
(d). Avoids duplication with existing guidelines such as IATG. Where such situations arise, we support refinement and further elaboration of IATG to meet the contemporary requirements. Towards this, last year, India had been invited to be the 11th member of the Technical Review Board of IATG and we have already put our best foot forward to progress that task for a positive and progressive outcome.
(e). A document that encourages International cooperation and feedback to plug the Gaps and avoid loopholes. Therefore, We echo the thoughts of so many of our colleagues that ‘international cooperation’ is one of the most important attributes of this framework
(f). A document that does not become a burden but acts as an enabler. A document which is encouraging in nature rather than prescriptive in its stipulations.
(g). A document which balances the rights and obligations of both ‘originating’ and ‘recipient’ states so that the objective of addressing existing gaps in through life ammunition management is collectively contributed to.
4. Towards this, we shall continue to strive to ensure that we adhere to the letter and spirit for which this group had been formed.
5. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Chair and his team for accepting our humble suggestions towards making the document crisper and more importantly - implementable. The latest draft is certainly a step towards the right direction and we are confident that, collectively, we should be able to achieve the aim of this session.
6. And finally, as another wise man once said, it shall all be OK in the end. If it's not OK…...it's not the end! The Indian delegation assures this esteemed group our committed efforts and unstinted support till the very end!
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
