India’s seven-point agenda for disarmament is as follows:

• Reduction of the salience of nuclear weapons in security doctrines.

• Negotiation of an agreement on no-first use of nuclear weapons among nuclear weapon states.

• Negotiation of a universal and legally binding agreement on non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.

• Negotiation of a convention on the complete prohibition of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

• Negotiation of a nuclear convention prohibiting development, stockpiling and production of nuclear weapons, moving Make no-first use of n-weapons binding: India towards a global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of these weapons.

• Unequivocal commitment of all nuclear weapon states towards the goal of completely eliminating nuclear weapons.

Adoption of additional measures by nuclear weapon states to reduce risks and dangers arising from possibility of accidental use of these weapons.

In another significant move, India also welcomed the joint Sino-Russian draft treaty on Prevention of Placement of Weapons in Outer Space. This move by Russia and China at the Conference of Disarmament earlier last month was seen as a way to check US efforts at developing its missile defence programme.

However, the focus of Indian Ambassador to the CD Hamid Ali Rao was largely on nuclear disarmament as he called the Conference to appoint a Special Coordinator to start consultations on these proposals so that a consensus can be forged on disarmament. “We recognize that these are complex issues... but that should not deter us from taking the first steps towards meaningfully addressing the priority of nuclear disarmament,” he said.

... contd.