CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT OPENS HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT

The Conference on Disarmament this morning opened its high-level segment, hearing from dignitaries from Belgium, Latvia, Republic of Korea, France, Poland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Kazakhstan and Iraq.

In their statements, speakers noted that today’s disarmament crisis was one of the most worrying manifestations of the crisis of the multilateral system. The impasse and stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament was a cause for concern, therefore the Member States should show flexibility and political determination to revitalize its role.

Several ministers pointed to the negative impact of the unravelling of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on collective security and stressed the need to regain international stability and strengthen global security. In that vein, they called upon Russia and the United States to agree on the renewal of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 2021.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was the cornerstone of the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime, some dignitaries said. That was why it was important to use the opportunity offered by the upcoming Review Conference to renew their commitments and strive for its universalization and the strengthening of its implementation.

Addressing the Conference this morning were Philippe Goffin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defence of Belgium; Edgars Rinkçviès, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia; Kang Kyung-Wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea; Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France; Jacek Czaputowicz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland; Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden; Stef Blok, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia; Arancha González Laya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain; Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; and Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq.

The Conference will continue its high-level segment at 3 p.m. today, 24 February.

Statements

PHILIPPE GOFFIN, Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defence of Belgium, said that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was an irreplaceable obstacle to the risk of non-proliferation and urged all States to renew, at the upcoming review Conference, their commitment to the treaty’s objectives. The negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices should start within the Conference on Disarmament without delay. There was no alternative to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which was yet to enter into force; this was the only instrument that could guarantee a complete ban on nuclear tests.

Expressing concern about the negative impact on the collective security caused by the disappearance of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Mr. Goffin called upon Russia and the United States to agree on the renewal of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 2021. China should assume its responsibilities as a nuclear power, given its increasing role on the international scene and the expansion of its nuclear arsenal. Belgium reaffirmed its full support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, regretted the withdrawal of the United States from the Agreement and called upon Iran to roll back measures that contravened it.

EDGARS RINKÇVIÈS, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, recalled that the Conference on Disarmament had negotiated two landmark conventions, on biological and on chemical weapons. Despite increasing dangers of biological weapons, the biological arms regime barely had a pulse, said Mr. Rinkçviès and urged all State parties to fulfil their financial obligations on time and in full.

The Chemical Weapons Convention had been recently defied on several occasions, in Syria, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. This type of behaviour risked, if left unchecked, a serious threat to the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime, he said and stressed the duty to uphold the longstanding international norm against the use of chemical weapons.

The Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty would commence soon and it was crucial to strive for a substantive and results-oriented process that would better promote the universalization and strengthening of its implementation. The only credible way towards nuclear disarmament was a step-by-step approach that considered a wider security context, concluded the Minister.

KANG KYUNG-WHA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, said that there was a pressing need to reverse the troubling trends seen in the unravelling of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the uncertain future of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and to regain international stability and strengthen global security. The Republic of Korea continued to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said Ms. Kang and regretted that the engagement had stalled and that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had not yet returned to negotiating table. She reaffirmed her country’s readiness to engage with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and so facilitate the dialogue with the United States.

At the beginning of the year, President Moon Jae-In had proposed a number of inter-Korean projects and had called upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to join to break through the stalemate. Ms. Kang said that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was the cornerstone of the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The chances of a successful Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty would be better if the Conference on Disarmament would make progress towards a treaty to ban the production of fissile material, for example.

JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, said that today’s disarmament crisis was one of the most worrying manifestations of the crisis of the multilateral system. France would defend its vision of responsible disarmament in the interest of international stability at the Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was based on three pillars. First, strict respect for the non-proliferation norm of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which promoted the preservation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the dismantling of the nuclear and ballistic arsenal of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Secondly, enhancing standards-setting work in the Conference on Disarmament, including the negotiation of a treaty banning the production of fissile material for military usage and the universalization of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The third pillar was to reduce strategic risks and reinforce trust as well as transparency on the arsenals, nuclear doctrines and strategies of the nuclear-weapons States of the P5. France was also convinced of the importance of defining a new agenda for arms control to preserve the existing instruments, such as the renewal of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty by the United States and the Russian Federation, and to develop new instruments in the wake of the fall of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

JACEK CZAPUTOWICZ, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, said that the agenda of the Conference should follow the relevant contemporary developments, including rapid technological progress, for example in artificial intelligence of “cyber capabilities”. At the same time, the comprehensive programme of disarmament or transparency in armament, which was part of the agenda, had not been sufficiently addressed for many years.

Poland was engaged in restoring peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and considered that the International Atomic Energy Agency should carry out verification duties once an agreement was reached. Poland also stressed the importance of Iran’s cooperation with this body non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The Minister stressed the positive developments in the efforts to reduce the impact of conventional weapons on civilians, such as the Oslo Review Conference on the mine-free world and its ambitious plan on the obligations of States parties to the Mine Ban Convention. In 2019, Poland and the United States had initiated the “Warsaw Process”, which addressed horizontal issues related to peace and security in the Middle East, especially missile non-proliferation.

ANN LINDE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, said that the Non-Proliferation Treaty was the cornerstone of the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation architecture and that States must seize the opportunity the 202 Review Conference presented to further strengthen it.

The Stockholm Initiative on Nuclear Disarmament, co-chaired by Sweden and Germany, aimed to reach a common ground for the successful outcome of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, said the Minister. It did not seek to replace other initiatives but to complement them by building political support for an ambitious but realistic disarmament agenda. It brought together sixteen non-nuclear weapon States with different geographic perspectives and security profiles, engaged in a collaborative and inclusive approach to identify early action to mitigate risks and pave the way for further progress in the area of disarmament. Its “stepping stones approach” worked by breaking down the longstanding items of the disarmament agenda into more digestible parts and by rebuilding trust.

Stressing the importance of overcoming the current crisis in the area of ​​strategic arms control, Ms. Linde called on the United States and Russia to quickly agree on the extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

STEF BLOK, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, said that to move forward, it was sometimes necessary to take a step back - that was why the Netherlands had submitted its “Back to Basics” working paper in the Conference on Disarmament.

The importance of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference could not be overstated as this was the only treaty with a legally binding commitment requiring nuclear-weapon States to pursue negotiations on disarmament. The Review Conference had to be a success and there must be a demand on the nuclear-weapon States to take action to implement the treaty’s Article VI. The Netherlands noted that this article, however, could not be implemented without an operational Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and a fissile material cut-off treaty nor without the work on nuclear disarmament verification.

To make progress, it was also necessary to look at the future, said the Minister. Greater speed in data processing, facilitated by artificial intelligence, could have great military benefits, but certain things were non-negotiable: a human element must play a role in any weapon system and compliance with international law was crucial. Nuclear disarmament was not a spring, but a marathon. “Despite headwinds, it’s important for to keep running”, he said.

FAISAL BIN FARHAN AL SAUD, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, shared the concern of the international community about the impasse and stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament and encouraged its Member States to show flexibility and political determination to revitalize its role, including through membership enlargement. Saudi Arabia had been amongst the pioneering countries that had joined international instruments in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Chemical Weapons Convention.

Saudi Arabia was increasingly concerned about security threats against Arabic countries in the Gulf, especially the threat of terrorist groups and armed militia supported by Iran. The regime in Iran provided them with technology and missile to target civilian and oil installations in the region, thus threatening the global oil supply. The terrorist Houthi militias supported by Iran continued to target Saudi civilian sites, but the international community remained silent vis-à-vis Iran aggressive practices, said the Minister. Iran’s declaration to reduce its compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was a clear indication that its nuclear programme had never been peaceful.

ARANCHA GONZÁLEZ LAYA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, acknowledged the difficulties faced by the Conference in recent years and stressed that the intrinsic value of this body should not be overlooked. In those troubling times for non-proliferation and disarmament, it was important to ensure its resilience. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action must be preserved as a part of international security architecture. As a believer in global order founded on international multilateralism, Spain worked to ensure a universal reach of the main treaties in disarmament and non-proliferation.

Reiterating concern about the resurgence of the use of chemical weapons, the Minister strongly rejected their use by anyone and anywhere and stressed the importance in this regard of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty represented one large pending task in the area of non-proliferation and Spain hoped for a fully operational Treaty soon. In May 2020, the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference would test the ability of countries to reach consensus. Stressing Spain’s unwavering commitment, the Minister called for the Treaty’s universalisation.

MUKHTAR TLEUBERDI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, recalled that 25 years ago Kazakhstan had voluntarily renounced its nuclear weapons, the fourth largest arsenal in the world. To revitalize the work of the Conference, Kazakhstan was ready to review the working methods without prejudice to its core principle of consensus. The Minister welcomed the expansion of its membership and said that a broader participation States in the disarmament process would provide a new impetus to the Conference’s work.

Nuclear disarmament was the most important goal; enormous nuclear arsenals made the world less safe and less predictable. The conclusion of a fissile material cut-off treaty would help minimize chances to develop new military nuclear programmes, significantly improve the control of existing materials and reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism. It would also serve as a confidence-building measure. Mr. Tleuberdi stressed the importance of intensifying the deliberations on the prevention of an arms race in outer space and expressed support for the development of an international legally binding document on negative security assurances.

MOHAMED ALI ALHAKIM, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, said the Conference was still relevant as the only multilateral disarmament forum and welcomed all activities that contributed to the resumption of its mandate. It was important to go ahead with collective efforts, such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, that could to provide further input to the work of the Conference on Disarmament, the Minister remarked. Technological developments in the nuclear field would contribute to the development of arms and Iraq supported all efforts to reduce the stocks and also supported the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The ongoing production of fissile materials constituted a threat to nuclear disarmament, thus Iraq supported the establishment of a negotiation mandate to address this issue. The Conference should consider adopting an internationally binding instrument to prevent the militarization of outer space and it was important to achieve the internationalization of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Nuclear-weapon-free zones should be established in the Middle East and globally, he said and urged European countries to continue its work to bring all the parties to the Joint Programme of Action back to the negotiating table.

For use of the information media; not an official record


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