Therefore, he said, “The primary responsibility for ensuring nuclear security rests at the national level but national responsibility must be accompanied by responsible behaviour as well as sustained and effective worldwide cooperation”.
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“India is committed to maintaining the highest global standards with reference to control of nuclear, chemical, biological and toxin weapons and their means of delivery and has strong and law-based national export controls consistent with the highest worldwide standards”, he said.
Without mentioning any country, he said that “clandestine nuclear proliferation networks must be rolled back and their resurgence prevented”.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to UN, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, has said that double standard on non proliferation of nuclear technology will have to be abandoned.
“I call on all States to focus on one overriding truth: the only sure way to prevent the human, environmental and existential destruction these weapons can cause, is by eradicating [these weapons] once and for all”, said Mr. Ban in his remarks at the Security Council open debate on ‘non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction’. But for this to happen all nuclear-weapon states must hold “a meaningful dialogue to build trust and confidence by reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in global affairs and security doctrines”, he said.
She also told the Council about the recent steps taken by Pakistan to implement Resolution 1540 and fulfill its non-proliferation obligations that included ratification of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and declaring adherence to NSG Guidelines.
She said that disarmament and non-proliferation are linked to each other.
Ambassador Lodhi asserted that a key challenge to long-held non-proliferation norms and rules is the grant of discriminatory waivers to some and making exceptions out of power or profit considerations. “Grant of such waivers carries obvious proliferation risks”, she said.
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha has affirmed the country’s support at the third and final session of the General Assembly mandated Open – Ended Working Group (OEWG) on Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations, held in Geneva last week.
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Lal said India has enacted a number of effective laws and regulations and has put in place institutionalised administrative mechanisms to prohibit access to Weapons of Mass Destruction by terrorists and non-State actors. The recommendation, which will be assessed by the General Assembly, is seen as a significant step towards nuclear disarmament.
