India not party to UN treaty on N-weapon ban

India on Tuesday said it was not party to a treaty recently adopted by 122 countries at a United Nations conference to prohibit nuclear weapons.

The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement in New Delhi to clarify that India had not participated in the negotiations on a treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, which had been concluded at a UN conference in New York on July 7.

New Delhi, however, pointed out that not only India, but also none of the other nations possessing nuclear weapons had participated in the negotiations on the treaty.

“India, therefore, cannot be a party to the treaty, and so shall not be bound by any of the obligations that may arise from it. India believes that this treaty in no way constitutes or contributes to the development of any customary international law,” said Gopal Baglay, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

A United Nations conference in New York on July 7 adopted the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the first multilateral legally-binding instrument for nuclear disarmament to have been negotiated in 20 years.

The treaty was adopted by a vote of 122 in favour to one against with one. The Netherlands voted against the treaty, while Singapore abstained.

The treaty will prohibit a full range of nuclear weapon-related activities, such as an undertaking to develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons as well as the use or threat of use of these weapons.