India and Israel Oppose UN Regional Arms Control Resolution
India and Israel voted against a UN General Assembly resolution on regional conventional arms control, arguing that security concerns extend beyond regional boundaries.
The United Nations General Assembly's First Committee approved a draft resolution on conventional arms control at regional and subregional levels on November 3, 2026. The measure, jointly initiated by Pakistan and Belarus, passed with 180 votes in favor, while India and Israel were the only two members to vote against it. The United States voted against the resolution's central operative paragraph, while Russia and most European Union members abstained.
India's Permanent Mission to the UN argued that conventional arms control is a global issue and that national security concerns do not stop at regional borders. Anmol Sher Bedi, First Secretary at the mission, criticized the request for the UN Disarmament Commission to formulate new principles, noting that consensus guidelines had already been established in 1993, 1999, and 2017. India specifically rejected the notion of preserving a balance of defense capabilities within regions and voted against a paragraph referencing arms control proposals in South Asia.
While Israel also opposed the measure, Indian officials dismissed claims that the two nations coordinated their diplomatic efforts. The Government of India described the interpretation of their joint opposition as a manifestation of a serious lack of nuanced understanding.
