India not to become a party to the treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; Suggests a global non-discriminatory and multilateral framework instead

India said on Friday that it does not support the treaty  on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and shall not be bound by any of the obligations that may arise from it. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, came into force on Friday.

India’s move to not become a party to the treaty was expected as none of the nine countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons have supported the treaty. The NATO alliance has also not become a party to the treaty too.

Consequently, India was expected to stay away from the treaty as such a ratification would weaken its stance at a time when both its menacing neighbours are in possession of nuclear weapons and have not shown any interest to be part of any treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement released on Friday said that India continues to attach high priority and remains committed to universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.

“As far as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is concerned, India did not participate in the negotiations on the TPNW and has consistently made it clear that it will not become a party to the Treaty,” the MEA said. India believes that this Treaty does not constitute or contribute to the development of customary international law; nor does it set any new standards or norms, the MEA statement says.

The MEA said that while India reiterates its commitment to the goal of a nuclear weapon free world, it also believes that this goal can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed global and non-discriminatory and multilateral framework. The MEA cited India’s Working Paper titled “Nuclear Disarmament”, submitted to the UN General Assembly and the Conference on Disarmament to impress the world body on its stand on Nuclear Weapons and prohibition.

The MEA said that India supports the commencement of negotiations on a comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention in the Conference on Disarmament, on the basis of consensus. “India stands ready to work with all UN Member States towards the objective of a world free of nuclear weapons”, it concluded. 

SamvadaWorld Staff