Ambassador TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
Highlight
- At the UNSC meeting convened by Russia, India called for a ban on the use of weapons of mass destruction.
- India noted the recent statements of the states and extensive information about activities in Ukraine.
- India emphasized on ensuring full and effective implementation of BTWC in letter and spirit.
As Russia convened a Security Council meeting on the issue of biological laboratories in Ukraine, India stated that any matter relating to obligations under the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention should be addressed through consultation and cooperation between the parties concerned .
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations TS Tirumurti said, “We have repeatedly expressed our serious concern over the current situation in Ukraine.”
Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine: Report of Biological Programs on Friday, he said that India has taken note of recent statements by states and extensive information regarding biological activities related to Ukraine.
In this context, we would like to underline the importance India attaches to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention (BTWC) as a premier global and non-discriminatory disarmament convention, which covers a full range of weapons of mass destruction. prohibits it,” he said.
Shri Tirumurti stressed that it is important to ensure complete and effective implementation of BTWC in letter and spirit.
“We also believe that any matter relating to obligations under the BTWC should be addressed in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and through consultation and cooperation between the parties concerned,” it said.
Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacekeeping Affairs, told the council that Russian armed forces were pursuing their offensive operations and laying siege to several cities in the south, east and north of the country.
He said the situation is particularly worrying in Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv, where there is shelling of residential areas and civilian infrastructure, resulting in increasing numbers of civilians and injuries.
“The kind of devastation that is happening in these cities is appalling.” DiCarlo said the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received credible reports of Russian forces using cluster weapons, including in populated areas.
Indiscriminate attacks, including the use of cluster munitions that are of the nature for military purposes and non-discriminatory attacks on civilians or civilian objects, are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
“Directing so-called territorial bombings of civilians and civilian objects as well as towns and villages is prohibited under international law and may be a war crime,” he said.
Russia requested the meeting to discuss the claims made by US-backed chemical and biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine.
Russian Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia said at the council that “we have discovered the truly shocking facts of the emergency cleanup by the Kyiv regime of traces of a military biological program being implemented by Kyiv with the support of the US Defense Ministry.” ” He added that Russia’s Defense Ministry has documents confirming that there was a network of 30 bio-laboratories on the territory of Ukraine, where “the pathogenic properties of plague, anthrax, cholera and other deadly diseases were developed using synthetic biology.” Very dangerous biological experiments were being conducted to strengthen the Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Poliansky tweeted that “the Russian mission called for a meeting of the #SecurityCouncil on March 11 to discuss US military biological activities in the territory of #Ukraine”.
Mr Tirumurti said India sincerely hoped that “the ongoing direct talks between Russia and Ukraine will end hostilities.
“There is no other option than through diplomacy and dialogue. The grave humanitarian situation requires immediate and immediate attention,” he said.
India once again called upon the member states to abide by the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law and to respect the sovereignty and integrity of the states.
DiCarlo said that as of March 11, the OHCHR has recorded a total of 1,546 civilian casualties, including 564 killed and 982 wounded, since the invasion began on February 24. He expressed concern that the OHCHR believes the actual casualties to be “significantly higher.”
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