Pakistan thwarts consensus at Geneva, blocks India's proposed disarmament program

Disarmament efforts faced a setback today as Pakistan blocked the adoption of the '2024 Programme of Work' proposed by India during its Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament (CD)  Geneva. Despite the program explicitly excluding any reference to the contentious Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), Pakistan's opposition halted the program.

Amb @drbahmad72 delivered a statement today at the concluding plenary of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in response to the remarks made by India as CD’s President.

The statement sharply focused on both the procedure and substance of the process conducted by India as the CD… pic.twitter.com/EPrbcGO9AV

— Pakistan Mission Geneva (@PakUN_Geneva) February 16, 2024

Frustration mounts over stalemate

Following the incident, diplomats expressed disappointment and called Pakistan's move 'bloody-mindedness.' India, during its month-long Presidency (January 21 - February 20), had consulted extensively to ensure the program's success. The last adopted program dates back to 2022.

Pakistan's objections 

According to reports, Pakistan showed its hands in blocking the disarmament process at the Plenary meeting of the CD on Friday. This aligns with the country's historical stance against the FMCT, citing concerns about its impact on its military posture one-to-one India. Major powers like the US, France, Russia, the UK, and even China supported India's proposal, prompting questions about Pakistan's specific reasons for blocking it. 

Limited progress at the CD

The CD, established in 1969, has witnessed limited progress since 2009 when it addressed the FMCT, the prevention of an arms race in outer space, and negative security assurances. In its Friday statement, Pakistan's representative denied being the sole obstacle to consensus and accused other delegations of 'obsessing' over the FMCT and the Shannon Mandate. They portrayed themselves as being held hostage to a single issue and argued that the CD should not be limited to just the FMCT.

Presidency was informed by the distinguished delegation of Pakistan that it was unable to join consensus on the draft decision. This is unfortunate since, in the spirit of compromise, changes were made in the draft, specifically to take into account Pakistan's concerns. 5/7

— India at Conference on Disarmament, Geneva (@CDMissionIndia) February 16, 2024

India highlights compromise effort

India's representative countered, emphasizing the compromises made to address Pakistan's concerns about the FMCT. However, China, a close ally of Pakistan, refrained from criticizing their stance. 

What is China's stance?

Instead, the Chinese envoy emphasized the importance of consensus and respecting the 'red lines' of delegations, implicitly acknowledging Pakistan's position. The Chinese statement reads, "The consideration is done on the basis of consensus not on the basis of consensus minus one or consensus minus few. China understands the importance of expeditiously moving to substantive work in a comprehensive and balanced manner, fully respecting differences and the red lines of delegations (read Pakistan)."