India and Israel were the only countries to vote against a United Nations General Assembly committee resolution on conventional arms control at regional and subregional levels. New Delhi argued that security concerns go beyond geographical boundaries and cannot be addressed through regional frameworks alone.

The draft resolution, moved by Pakistan and Belarus, was approved by the UNGA's First Committee on Monday with 180 votes in favour, two against and no abstentions.

Explaining India's position, Anmol Sher Bedi, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said conventional arms control was a global issue and should not be pursued mainly through regional and subregional frameworks.

Bedi said India voted against the resolution in line with its longstanding position. He also questioned the proposal asking the UN Disarmament Commission to formulate principles for regional agreements on conventional arms control.

He noted that the commission had already adopted three consensus outcomes on the subject: guidelines and recommendations on regional disarmament in 1993, guidelines on conventional arms control and disarmament in 1999, and recommendations on confidence-building measures in conventional weapons in 2017.

“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,” Bedi said.

India also opposed the resolution's focus on maintaining a balance in defence capabilities within regions and subregions. New Delhi argued that security threats are not limited by geographical boundaries.

“The security concerns of States politely stop at their regional borders. They do not,” Bedi said, adding that maintaining a military balance within narrowly defined regions was unrealistic.

The resolution argues that conventional arms control should primarily take place at regional and subregional levels. It states that most threats to peace and security in the post-Cold War era emerge among countries within the same region. It also calls for agreements to strengthen regional peace and security while keeping armaments and military forces at the lowest possible levels.

Separately, India voted against a paragraph referring to conventional arms control proposals in the context of South Asia. The paragraph also acknowledged initiatives in other regions, including consultations among some Latin American countries.

The resolution further states that militarily significant countries and those with greater military capabilities have a special responsibility to promote agreements aimed at strengthening regional security.