Global support and political will for the OEWG and nuclear disarmament

Ambassador Espinosa,
Mr. Ware,
Excellencies,
Esteemed civil society representatives,
Ladies and gentlemen:

I am very pleased to join you for this event on global support and political will for the Open-ended Working Group and nuclear disarmament. The establishment of the Open-ended Working Group on taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations – or OEWG in short – was a much needed sign of the renewed determination of Member States to find a path to nuclear disarmament. And I am very pleased that civil society organizations are seizing this opportunity to engage in our shared disarmament efforts.

When the General Assembly established the OEWG, it recognized “the important contribution that international organizations, civil society, academia and research make to multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control processes.” [A/RES/70/33] Indeed, in the 21st century, it is simply not sustainable to deprive civil society and other stakeholders of a say on challenges that concern our very existence and collective future.

The OEWG is tasked, among other things, to address recommendations and additional measures to increase awareness and understanding of the complexity of and interrelationship between the wide range of humanitarian consequences that would result from any nuclear detonation. These consequences can affect all of us. Hence, an inclusive approach to understanding their impact is needed. At the same time, transparency and accountability are key to avoid nuclear accidents and to help governments to focus on the commitments they have already made for disarmament and non-proliferation. In this context, civil society, academia, parliaments, mayors and other stakeholders should not only be seen as “watch dogs”. They can contribute with new ideas and creativity to a process where thoughts are usually constrained by long-standing political doctrines and trenches.

Social media are particularly promising as they can help many individuals and groups to exert these roles. Social media make participation easier for people who are not in Geneva or New York. And perhaps even more importantly, they are key in reaching young people. As the Secretary-General said at an event in New York at the beginning of this month, “young people did not create nuclear weapons, but it may be their task to eliminate them once and for all.” And at a recent briefing here in Geneva, the Executive Secretary of the CTBTO highlighted his efforts in mobilizing youth support for the test-ban treaty in the countries that have not signed or ratified it yet through social media and youth involvement. The initiative #LetsTalkNukes, which is among the examples of civil society engagement presented at today’s event, is another innovative example of how social media can be used to help move disarmament forward.

Last year, the international community adopted a number of new frameworks that will change the working culture in multilateralism. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in particular requires a new, much more integrated and collaborative way of working. Disarmament can be no exception to this transformation. The initiative of Mayors, Parliamentarians and religious leaders who came together in the Statement on “A Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: Our Common Good”, which is also highlighted at today’s event, is a good illustration of how stakeholders with growing influence can collaborate for disarmament. Parliamentarians and religious leaders have traditionally been important players who can connect global discussions to local constituencies. With about 75% of the population living in cities by 2050, Mayors will become increasingly influential actors in this regard.

I will continue to strive to facilitate engagement of different stakeholders in our efforts to support our Member States in any initiatives that may help to bring us closer to the shared goal of disarmament. The organization of the first ever Informal Conference on Disarmament Civil Society Forum in 2015 was a successful step in this direction. It allowed for frank and encouraging discussions, including with those who had initially been sceptical about the initiative. We are currently working to hold another forum this year. I very much hope that together, we can find ways to break the deadlock of the Conference on Disarmament.

This event serves to present new projects and to exchange experiences among civil society, government representatives and other stakeholders. It builds on a number of other meetings between civil society representatives and different officials including my colleague the High-Representative for Disarmament Affairs in the context of the OEWG. These meetings are an important step on our path towards a more collaborative way of working across the agenda of the United Nations with a focus on disarmament. I would like to thank the organizers of today’s event including the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, the World Future Council and the entities under the banner of UNFOLD ZERO for having convened this timely gathering and wish you fruitful discussions.

Thank you very much.