India and Israel were the only two countries to vote against a UN General Assembly committee resolution on conventional arms control at regional and subregional levels, with New Delhi arguing that security concerns extend beyond geographical boundaries.
The draft resolution, moved by Pakistan and Belarus, was approved by the UNGA's First Committee on Monday with 180 votes in favour, two against and no abstentions.
Explaining India's position, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Anmol Sher Bedi, said conventional arms control was a global issue and should not be pursued primarily through regional and subregional frameworks.
Bedi said India voted against the resolution in keeping with its longstanding position. He also questioned its request to the UN Disarmament Commission to formulate principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control.
He pointed out that the commission had already adopted three consensus outcomes on the subject, guidelines and recommendations on regional disarmament in 1993, guidelines on conventional arms control and disarmament in 1999, and recommendations on confidence-building measures in conventional weapons in 2017.
“We fail to understand why a subject already deliberated at length needs another round of deliberation unless the aim is to keep the UN disarmament machinery busy,” Bedi said.
India also objected to the resolution's emphasis on maintaining a balance in defence capabilities within regions and subregions, arguing that security concerns were not restricted by geographical boundaries.
“The security concerns of States politely stop at their regional borders. They do not,” Bedi said, adding that the notion of preserving a military balance within narrowly defined regions was unrealistic.
The resolution argues that conventional arms control should primarily be pursued at regional and subregional levels, as most threats to peace and security in the post-Cold War era arise among countries within the same region.
It also calls for agreements to strengthen regional peace and security with the lowest possible levels of armaments and military forces.
Separately, India voted against a paragraph referring to conventional arms control proposals made in the context of South Asia. The paragraph also took note of initiatives in other regions, including consultations among some Latin American countries.
The resolution further states that militarily significant countries and those with greater military capabilities have a special responsibility to promote agreements aimed at strengthening regional security.
(With inputs from PTI)
