Why did India and Israel oppose Pakistan-backed arms control resolution at UN? Explained

India and Israel were the only two countries to vote against a Pakistan- and Belarus-sponsored draft resolution on conventional arms control at the United Nations General Assembly's First Committee, with New Delhi arguing that security concerns cannot be confined to regional and subregional boundaries.

The draft resolution, titled General and complete disarmament: Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels, received 180 votes in favour, two against and no abstentions in the 193-member UN body.

Explaining India's opposition, Anmol Sher Bedi, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said conventional arms control was a global issue and questioned whether it should be addressed primarily through regional and subregional frameworks.

"We are not fully convinced that it should be pursued primarily in regional and sub-regional contexts," Bedi said while delivering India's Explanation of Vote at the First Committee.

Why India opposed the Pakistan-backed UN resolution

India raised concerns over the resolution's proposal to task the UN Disarmament Commission with developing principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control.

Bedi questioned the need for another round of deliberations, pointing out that the Commission had already reached consensus on three sets of guidelines and recommendations dealing with regional disarmament and conventional arms control.

These included guidelines on regional disarmament adopted in 1993, guidelines on conventional arms control and disarmament in 1999, and practical confidence-building measures in the field of conventional weapons in 2017.

"We read this request with a certain degree of curiosity," Bedi said, referring to the proposal for fresh guidelines.

"That makes three consensus outcomes on this very subject in the very body now being asked to start from scratch," he added.

Questioning the rationale behind the proposal, Bedi said: “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.”

"Those concerns, as everyone understands for well-known reasons, extend beyond narrowly defined regions and subregions. More importantly, the notion of preserving balance in a region or a subregion appears unrealistic," he said.

What does the Pakistan-backed resolution propose?

The draft resolution argues that conventional arms control should primarily be pursued through regional and subregional arrangements, suggesting that many contemporary threats to international peace and security emerge from tensions between neighbouring countries.

It calls for agreements aimed at strengthening regional security while maintaining the lowest possible levels of armaments and military forces.

The resolution also places particular responsibility on countries with significant military capabilities to facilitate regional security arrangements.

It states that "militarily significant States and States with larger military capabilities have a special responsibility" in promoting such agreements.

However, India's objections centred on the premise that security concerns cannot be addressed exclusively within regional boundaries, particularly when military capabilities and strategic interests extend beyond them.

Why India also opposed a separate reference to South Asia

Apart from voting against the resolution as a whole, India also registered a negative vote on a specific paragraph referring to conventional arms control proposals in South Asia, according to an ANI report.

The paragraph took note of various regional initiatives, including discussions among Latin American countries and proposals for conventional arms control made in the context of South Asia.

It described these initiatives as relevant to broader efforts to promote regional stability through arms limitation.

India's opposition to the paragraph came alongside its broader objections to the resolution's regional approach to conventional arms control.

With inputs from ANI.

About the Author

Bhanu Pratap is a journalist who reports and writes on foreign affairs, India’s foreign policy, geopolitics and strategic affairs. He closely follows diplomatic developments in New Delhi and has a keen interest in defence and national security.<br> <br> Bhanu also focuses on in-depth, interview-based reports and regularly speaking with experts and policymakers to bring perspectives and context to major developments around the world.<br> <br> He is also interested in stories with strong humanitarian angles.<br><br> One such report examined the cases of Indian nationals who were allegedly recruited and forced into Russia’s war against Ukraine. While reporting the story, Bhanu spoke to the families of those affected and documented their experiences. The report was later taken into account by the United Nations in its findings on human rights violations linked to the war in Ukraine.<br> <br> For Bhanu, the zeal to produce meaningful and impactful journalism remains at the heart of his work.<br> <br>He has previously worked with Firstpost, NDTV, Newslaundry and Republic.<br><br> Bhanu studied at the Delhi School of Journalism, University of Delhi. He initially chose science with plans to pursue engineering, influenced by conventional expectations, but fate had other plans and eventually led him to journalism.<br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Bhanu enjoys exploring culture and history and often spends his days off on heritage walks. He is also passionate about travelling, biking and listening to folk music.<br> <br>For tips, reviews and suggestions, you can reach him at bhanu.pratap@htdigital.in.