UN Nuclear Disarmament Meet: India Reaffirms ‘No First Use’ Policy; Urges Credible Minimum Deterrence

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) high-level meeting commemorating the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, India reiterated its commitment to its "no first use" (NFU) policy and advocated for a "credible minimum deterrence". Sibi George, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, represented India and emphasized India's status as a responsible nuclear-weapon state.

The annual UN meeting serves as a platform for global leaders and diplomats to discuss the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and to push for advancements in disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control. UN Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that the world is "sleepwalking into a new nuclear arms race" and urged nations to recommit to dialogue and uphold the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Guterres also encouraged nuclear states to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and implement transparency and confidence-building measures.

India, while not a signatory to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, is recognized as a nuclear-weapon state under the NPT framework. India maintains that its nuclear doctrine ensures deterrence while advocating for a non-discriminatory and verifiable disarmament regime. India has long desired nuclear disarmament but maintains the need for national security. In 1999, India's Draft Nuclear Doctrine asserted that "global, verifiable, and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament is a national security objective".

India's NFU policy is qualified, reserving the right to respond with nuclear weapons in the event of chemical or biological attacks against it. Despite this, India supports legally binding NFU agreements.

Pakistan, in its statement, reaffirmed its commitment to a nuclear-weapon-free world, stressing that it should be achieved universally, verifiably, and non-discriminatorily, ensuring "undiminished security for all States at the lowest possible level of armaments".

Japan, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, and other nations shared their experiences with nuclear testing, highlighting the long-term health and environmental impacts and calling for the global abolition of nuclear weapons. Pacific Island nations recalled the Cold War-era nuclear tests and their generational consequences.

India has observed a nuclear testing moratorium since May 1998 and is a party to the Partial Test Ban Treaty, which bans atmospheric, outer space, and underwater testing. However, India has not signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

India favors negotiation of a fissile material cutoff treaty that is “effectively verifiable,” a condition opposed by the United States. India has consistently called for general nuclear disarmament by all states at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) and other forums.

As of 2023, India is estimated to possess approximately 160 nuclear warheads and is actively seeking to expand its nuclear capabilities to establish a more robust nuclear triad, including the development of ICBM and SLBM capabilities. India's warheads are believed to be stored in a disassembled state, increasing deployment time.

India has supported the immediate commencement of negotiations in the CD on a fissile material cutoff treaty. It has also expressed its readiness to convert its NFU and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states' undertakings into multilateral legal arrangements.