Hague Code of Conduct

India on June 2 joined a global ballistic missile proliferation regime but made it clear that it will not have any impact on the national security as well as country’s missile programmes. India has joined the Hague Code of Conduct (HCoC) against Ballistic Missile Proliferation by notifying the HCoC Central Contact in Vienna through diplomatic channels.

The HCoC is a voluntary, legally non-binding international confidence building and transparency measure that seeks to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles that are capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction. When asked if India’s joining HCoC will effectively mean that country has to shelve its Agni missile programme, a government spokesperson said, “Our national security interest will not be impacted in any manner, whatsoever, by joining HCoC.”

The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC) is the result of efforts of the international community to internationally regulate the area of ballistic missiles capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. The HCOC is the only multilateral transparency and confidence building instrument concerning the spread of ballistic missiles.

By subscribing to the HCoC, members voluntarily commit themselves politically to provide pre-launch notifications (PLNs) on ballistic missile and space-launch vehicle launches (SLVs) and test flights. Subscribing States also commit themselves to submit an annual declaration (AD) of their country’s policies on ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles.

Since the signing and entering into force of the politically-binding HCOC in November 2002 in The Hague (Netherlands) the number of signatories has increased from 96 to 137… In 2011 a new HCOC website was created with EU financing (www.hcoc.at).

The link between the UN and the HCOC, a multilateral code negotiated outside the context of the United Nation System, is established with the Resolutions regarding the HCOC that were adopted during the 59th, 60th, 63th, 65th, 67th and the 69th UN-General Assemblies in New York Since the entry into force of the HCoC in November 2002, annual Regular Meetings of Subscribing States to the HCoC (annual conferences) are held in Vienna.

The 14th Regular Meeting took place from 28 May to 29 May 2015 under the chairmanship of Canada, , according to Austrian Foreign Ministry.The 15th Regular Meeting was held on June 2-3. The Code is meant to supplement the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) but its membership is not restricted.