By signing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development India recognises that “there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.” SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions includes a target on reducing illicit financial and arms flows by 2030. This theme focuses on the need to ensure that no arms are produced that do not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants in violation of international humanitarian law.

This includes clauses that caution against investments in antipersonal landmines, cluster munitions, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons. This thematic assessment also focuses on arms investments made in States on which a multilateral embargo has been posed concerning issues of armed conflict, risk of serious violations of international law in countries which severely violate human rights.