Geneva (Switzerland)

India on Tuesday underscored the urgent need to preserve strategic stability and prevent a renewed arms race, warning of mounting global uncertainties as long-standing arms control arrangements come under strain.

Addressing the 2026 High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "The recent expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) poses a significant setback for global arms control. India believes that preserving strategic stability and preventing an arms race remain vital, more than ever, for global security."

Misri highlighted that the High-Level Segment was taking place against the backdrop of a "profoundly uncertain geo-political and security environment", marked by rising military expenditures, stressed arm-control frameworks and rapid technological advances with military applications.

Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri delivered India's Statement at the 2026 High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament 1/3 pic.twitter.com/KUJ6V9avOn

— India at Conference on Disarmament, Geneva (@CDMissionIndia) February 24, 2026

Reiterating India's nuclear doctrine, he said, "India, as a responsible nuclear weapon State, is committed, as per its nuclear doctrine, to maintaining a credible minimum deterrent, and espouses a posture of 'no-first use' and non-use against non-nuclear weapon States."

He affirmed India's commitment to universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament through a step-by-step multilateral framework, while supporting negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) based on the established mandate within the Conference.

On emerging technologies, Misri noted that advances in science and technology are reshaping military effectiveness and introducing new forms of vulnerability and competition. India, he said, has called for a UN system-wide assessment of the impact of such developments on international security.

Referring to artificial intelligence, he said India is committed to its responsible use in the military domain. "Human judgement and oversight in the use of AI in the military domain is essential to mitigate risks and to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law," he stated, adding that India has developed a domestic framework for evaluating trustworthy AI in defence, centred on principles including reliability, safety and transparency.

He also clarified that decisions regarding nuclear weapons would remain under human control.

The Foreign Secretary highlighted the recently concluded India-AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, which adopted the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact and drew participation from more than 100 countries. The Summit emphasized democratizing access to AI and leveraging it for development, particularly in the Global South.

On outer space security, Misri stressed that "outer space should remain a realm for cooperation, not conflict," and reiterated India's support for negotiating a legally binding instrument to prevent an arms race in outer space.

He also referenced India's hosting of a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Biological Weapons Convention in December 2025, and capacity-building initiatives in partnership with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.

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Concluding his remarks, Misri reaffirmed India's support for the Conference as "the world's single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum," urging member states to demonstrate political will and prioritise collective security interests.

"India continues to highlight the need for constructive dialogue and engagement," he said. "We call on all States to demonstrate the required political will by taking into account the collective security interests of all States."