India for intl convention for prohibition of N-weapons' use

India has proposed an international convention for "complete prohibition" of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons to reduce dangers posed by the arsenal to the humanity.

Addressing an international security conference in Munich, National Security sdviser MK Narayanan underlined that India has been, and still remains, a strong and unwavering advocate of global verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament, reflecting the passionate advocacy of nuclear disarmament of its first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Even today, India is perhaps the only nuclear weapons State to express its readiness to negotiate a Nuclear Weapons Convention leading to global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons," he said on Friday while speaking on the topic 'Non-Proliferation, Arms control and Future of Nuclear Weapons; Is Zero Possible?

Referring to the Action Plan proposed by India at the UN General Assembly in 1988 for complete elimination of all nuclear weapons in stages by 2010, he said "by far the most comprehensive initiative" is relevant even today.

He made a number of proposals to reduce the risks posed by atomic weapons, which include negotiating a Convention on the complete prohibition of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

The other proposals include reaffirmation of unequivocal commitment by all nuclear weapon States to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons; reduction of the salience of nuclear weapons in security doctrines; reduction of nuclear danger, including the risk of accidental nuclear war, by de-alerting nuclear-weapons to prevent unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons.

Narayanan also advocated the need for a global agreement among nuclear weapons States on 'no-first-use' of nuclear weapons and negotiating a universal and legally-binding agreement on non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon States.

The proposals also included negotiating a Nuclear Weapons Convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and on their time-bound destruction, leading to the global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons.

Narayanan regretted that despite the end of Cold War, there has not been any appreciable change in the centrality of nuclear weapons in the security doctrines of the major nuclear weapon powers.

"Commitments must be clear and unambiguous and convey some urgency for achieving this goal. This would apply to NPT States as well as non-NPT States," he emphasised.

"India's approach to nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and by extension to arms control, is essentially based on the belief that there exists close synergy between all three," Narayanan said.

"Non-proliferation cannot be an end in itself, and has to be linked to effective nuclear disarmament," he said.

Narayanan said that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation should be seen as mutually reinforcing processes and that effective disarmament must enhance the security of all States and not merely that of a few.

"Our perception of arms control is that by addressing the issue piecemeal it merely tends to perpetuate nuclear weapons in the hands of a few chosen nations. Non-proliferation is seen as essentially an extension of the arms control regime," Narayanan said.

He said India is prepared to engage with the various proponents of nuclear disarmament and to meaningfully contribute to these initiatives.