In a significant boost to India’s global contribution to peace and disarmament efforts, the Indian Army is hosting the inaugural United Nations (UN) Fellowship Training Programme on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control for the first time in India for the Asia-Pacific region. The training began on Monday and will continue conclude on March 6 at MCMM Jabalpur under the aegis of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD). The programme brings together delegates from 13 nations across the Asia-Pacific region. The prestigious three-week fellowship is being organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD). The Fellowship commenced with Deepayan Basu Ray, Director of UNRCPD (Asia Pacific), giving a review of the UN disarmament programme. The keynote address was delivered by Lieutenant General Sanjay Sethi AVSM VSM, PhD, who emphasised the strategic importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing emerging security challenges posed by illicit arms flows and reaffirmed India’s commitment to global peace, responsible arms governance and capacity building partnership under the United Nations framework.

 

The Fellowship is designed to build the technical and operational capacity of government officials responsible for implementing the UN Programme of Action (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), key global frameworks aimed at preventing the illicit trade, diversion and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons. With illicit Small Arms & Light Weapon (SALW) proliferation being major driver of conflict, terrorism and organised crime worldwide, this initiative marks a crucial step toward enhancing regional cooperation, improving tracing systems, and strengthening responsible stockpile management practices. The nomination for conduct by India and the diverse participants reflects the growing confidence in India’s institutional capabilities and reinforces the country’s role as a responsible proactive stakeholder in global security governance and reinforces our standing as A responsible arms-managing nation, A trusted partner in international security cooperation and A regional hub for professional military and technical training. The programme not only strengthens global disarmament efforts but also showcases India’s growing contribution to multilateral peace and security initiatives. India’s well-established systems for safe stockpile management, accountability mechanisms, and environmentally responsible disposal of small arms and ammunition have been recognised internationally.