Mr. Coordinator,

India congratulates you on assuming the Coordinatorship of Subsidiary Body 1. We thank you for your letter of March 11, in which you have shared a work plan to structure our discussions. We thank UNIDIR and Dr James Revill for theuseful presentation today and for setting the context for our work in Subsidiary Body 1.

Nuclear Disarmament is the most important item on the CD’s Agenda.  UN Member States, in the final outcome document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly (SSOD-1), have reaffirmed collectively that the ending of the arms race and the achievement of real disarmament are tasks of primary importance and urgency. Yet, after four decades, the international community is still to effectively meet this historical challenge and the shared objective of complete elimination of nuclear weapons. The Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament has the mandate, membership and the rules of procedure to deliver on the responsibilities that have been assigned to it. 

Mr. Coordinator

As a responsible nuclear weapon State, India has a policy of maintaining a credible minimum deterrence based on a No First Use posture and non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.Furthermore, India remainscommitted to maintaining a unilateral moratorium on nuclear explosivetesting.

Mr. Coordinator

India remains committed to universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament. India believes that disarmament can be achieved through a steady, gradual and effective process. India’s Working Paper submitted to the Conference on Disarmament in 2007, CD/1816 envisions a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed global, and non- discriminatory multilateral framework to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

In line with our vision, India has supported the negotiation of aComprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention in the CD.Furthermore, India’sannual resolution, on a “Convention on the Prohibition of the use of NuclearWeapons”, tabled since 1982 in the UNGA requests the CD to commencenegotiations on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use ofnuclear weapons under any circumstances. Our annual resolution on ‘ReducingNuclear Danger’, tabled since 1988 in the UNGA, has drawn much-needed globalattention to the hair-trigger alert of nuclear weapons and calls for steps to reduce therisk of unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, including through de-alerting and de-targeting of nuclear weapons.

 Without prejudice to the priority we attach to disarmament, India looks forward to negotiations to commence on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty based on CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein. We look forward to such discussions under Subsidiary Body 2.

Mr. Coordinator

India believes that a climate of trust and confidence coupled with politicalwill and intensified dialogue among States will help achieve consensus towards theshared objective of a world free of nuclear weapons. India stands ready to work withall Member States in achieving this noble goal.

We look forward to productive work under the Subsidiary Body 1, which we hope could help advance substantive work in the Conference.

I thank the interpreters for their kind cooperation.

I thank you, Mr Coordinator.