Statement by Commodore Nitin Parvataneni, Director (Military Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs at the OEWG on Conventional Ammunition, New York, 5 June 2023
Thank you Chair.
The Indian delegation takes this opportunity to wish the Distinguished Chair, Vice Chair,your dedicated team, esteemed delegates and the committed UN staff a very good New York summer afternoon.
Since we are in the USA, we felt it was appropriate to begin with a quote by JFK, “There are risks and costs to action, but they are far less than the long-term risks of comfortable inaction”.
We are very encouraged to note that, under your leadership, there has been positive action and the Group has traversed vast stretches of intense discussions towards drafting a global framework. It has been our privilege to go through this learning process with a set of like-minded colleagues in this room and. As a member of the Chair's team expressed to me this morning, we are hopefully close to the " sweet spot". With regard to the current draft, my delegation could only agree with that.
We believe that any framework, we arrive at, must cater to three essential elements-
-diversion risk and its mitigation measures.
-safety measures- and therefore the preeminence of guidelines such as IATG and
-traceability - from womb to tomb, involving both national legislation and international cooperation efforts.
Our delegation has always focused on supporting a global framework that meets the following conditions-
1. Clear strategic aim and objectives.
2. National ownership is a fundamental principle.
3. Caters to the varying capacities and ensuring it is IMPLEMENTABLE by all stakeholders.
4. A document that supports the global implementation of IATG. As you are aware, in the light of our very comprehensive national protocols, India endeavors to contribute wholeheartedly to reviewing and refining IATG as a member of the Technical Review Board of IATG, for a positive and progressive outcome.
5. A document that encourages International cooperation and feedback to plug the existing Gaps and avoid loopholes. Therefore, the importance of including aspects relating to risk assessment and traceability in the report.
6. A document that does not become a burden or restrictive, but rather a tool for encouragement- an enabler! In this regard, we are encouraged by the terms "enabling measures" in the current draft.
7. A document which balances the rights and obligations for originating and recipient states to enable their collective contributions. We believe that the objectives of the global framework will be fulfilled in reality only if both originating states and recipient states are seen as equally important stakeholders for the process.
And finally, as a delegation representing a major maritime nation, we believe that "It is not possible to cross the oceans unless you are willing to lose sight of the shore." Therefore, we do encourage the esteemed delegates in this room not to be tied down only by the concepts we are used to earlier but extend a little beyond our shores to merge with this Group's collaborative expedition and commendable efforts so far. Let us meet on common ground to combat the scourge of diversion of conventional ammunition.
The Indian delegation assures this esteemed group that we will sail in formation with you and you can count on our unstinted support till the very end!
We shall be sharing more specific comments during detailed discussions.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
