No change in India’s “minimum deterrence” and “no first use” nuclear policy, envoy tells UNGA

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<img height="1" src="file:///C:/Users/media/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="1" />The Indian Ambassador to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Pankaj Sharma told the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday that India is a responsible nuclear weapons State and maintains a policy of minimum deterrence.</p>
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Sharma told the UNGA that the world faces multiple security challenges and evolving threats like the weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and cyber threats. He added that India maintains a no-first-use posture and non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States.<br />
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Sharma said: "India's proposal for a step-by-step approach for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, contained in our Working Paper submitted to the Conference on Disarmament in 2007, calls on the CD to negotiate a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention."<br />
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India is willing to convert unilateral policies such as "no-first-use posture" and "non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States", into multilateral arrangements, the Indian ambassador told the UN.<br />
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He added that India is unwavering in its commitment to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.<br />
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Separately, just a day earlier, <a href="https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/34385/Remarks+by+Minister+of+State+for+External+Affairs+Shri+V+Muraleedharan+in+UN+Security+Council+High+Level+Open+Debate+Peacebuilding+and+sustaining+peaceDiversity+Statebuilding+and+the+search+for+peace">Minister of State for External Affairs</a> V. Muraleedharan spoke before the UN Security Council (UNSC) on peace-building in countries coming out of conflict. He said that in a globalized, liberalized, and interlinked world, post-conflict state building has faced increasing societal expectations and sustaining peace has become as important as ending conflict.<br />
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Giving India's example, Muraleedharan highlighted how India despite its diversity and "the convulsions caused by the partition", still came together as one to form a democratic, pluralistic and inclusive society with the Constitution as the bedrock.<br />
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The minister also spoke about battling terrorism and how the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has clearly mentioned that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances.</p>
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