An Indian parliamentary delegation has highlighted at the UN General Assembly the country’s key commitments, specifically reaffirming its stance on preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the country’s support for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Participating in the 80th General Assembly of the UN in New York, the delegation represented by G K Vasan, Member of Parliament, reaffirmed “India’s unwavering commitment to global non-proliferation and preventing terrorists and non-state actors from acquiring Weapons of Mass Destructions.”
Vasan also highlighted India’s proactive role, stating that India had underlined its efforts in “tabling the annual UN General Assembly resolution on ‘Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction,’ which was adopted by consensus.”
Vasan elaborated on India’s domestic framework, asserting that the country “has a robust legal and regulatory system to implement the provisions of resolution 1540 and Strategic Trade Controls.”
He further emphasized India’s effective mechanisms, noting “India’s effective inter-ministerial mechanisms on licensing, enforcement, risk assessment, outreach and capacity building in this area.”
Reiterating India’s support for enhanced cooperation, Vasan “underscored the need to prevent terrorists and other non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, related materials, equipment, and technologies.”
In a separate statement on the Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), D Purandeswari, Member of Parliament, underlined “India’s support for the IAEA’s essential role in assisting countries to build human and institutional capacities for safer, secure and peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.”
She emphasized the critical role of nuclear science, stating it is “crucial… in the implementation of national development strategies, recovering from the COVID Pandemic while ensuring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in the achieving of climate goals in the context of the 2015 Paris Agreement.”
Highlighting India’s domestic success, Purandeswari noted that “Indian nuclear power reactors have been setting records through uninterrupted operations, pioneering research of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the global contributions towards the Heavy Water Board (HWB).”
She reiterated India’s commitment as a responsible nuclear power to “expand peaceful applications of nuclear technology, both in the power and non-power sector, ensuring the security of nuclear and radiological materials,” and assured that India “will continue to support the Agency in its efforts to provide a robust, sustainable, and visible, global nuclear safety and security framework.”