Conference on Disarmament Continues High-Level Segment, Hearing from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Egypt, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and South Africa
The Conference on Disarmament this morning continued its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Egypt, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization,
Slovenia, Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and South Africa.
Speaking were Dmytro Kuleba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Yevheniia Filipenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Gennady Gatilov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt; Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization; Stanislav Raščan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia; Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; Cornel Feruta, Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies of Romania; Benedetto Della Vedova, Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy; Velislava Petrova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria; and Naledi Pandor, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa.
The Conference will next meet in public today at 3 p.m., to continue with the high-level segment.
High-Level Segment
DMYTRO KULEBA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said that the present moment in world history was unprecedented and dark. Russian troops had crossed Ukrainian borders and launched horrific missile attacks on cities. indiscriminate attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure were war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute. Russia had destroyed the international security system on the European continent that emerged after World War II, and the United Nations needed to take strong action. Ukraine called for convening a Special Session of the Conference on Disarmament, with the main issue being Russia’s armed aggression, and called on all member States to support such action. The future of global security was currently being determined in Ukraine, and the country depended on a strong, coordinated, and proper reaction by the international community. Ukraine would fight for justice in international courts to hold Russia accountable.
YEVHENIIA FILIPENKO, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said a request had been submitted for a formal plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament, to ensure Russia’s actions could be comprehensively considered. Ukraine requested that the plenary meeting be held as urgently as possible and counted on the support of delegations.
MUKHTAR TILEUBERDI, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, welcomed the joint statement of the five permanent members of the Security Council, and appreciated the continued dialogue on strategic stability between Russia and the United States. Kazakhstan had developed a working paper which complemented the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and it was hoped that all State parties would be able to support recommendations from the Stockholm initiative. The early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was essential, with every effort needed to establish nuclear weapons-free zones all over the world. It was imperative to prevent an arms race in outer space. The disarmament agenda was complex, meaning the Conference needed the political will of all in order to find compromise solutions.
SERGEY LAVROV, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said the tragedy of Ukraine was the result of connivance of Western patrons to the criminal regime developed after the 2014 coup d’état. As a responsible member of the international community, Russia was taking all necessary measures to prevent emergence of nuclear weapons and related technologies in Ukraine.
Western colleagues had failed to demonstrate willingness to provide Russia with legally binding long-term security guarantees, meaning rejection of further NATO expansion. The United Nations disarmament machinery had a decisive role to play in paving ways to get the arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation system out of the crisis, and the Conference on Disarmament was its key element. Given political will, the participants of the Conference should be able to overcome the existing divergences and reach mutually acceptable solutions that paved the way to the resumption of negotiations.
GENNADY GATILOV, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the delegation of Ukraine had requested that a special session of the Conference be convened. Rule 8 stated that the President of the Conference could convene the Conference for a special session. The Russian Federation did not provide its agreement to the convening of such a session.
SAMEH SHOUKRY, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, said it was important to work to restore the historic role of the Conference on Disarmament as the key multilateral disarmament negotiation forum. Nuclear states must meet their obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and Egypt called on all States to support efforts to begin negotiations to reach an international treaty banning the production of fissile material. Egypt attached particular importance to strengthening the legal system for maintaining outer space for peaceful activities. Egypt looked to make more contributions during the various meetings taking place on the disarmament agenda this year, led by the Tenth Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
ROBERT FLOYD, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, said that the present was an important moment in history, as nuclear weapons were being put on high alert, alongside the escalating situation in Ukraine. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would play an essential role as a core legal and technical component of a nuclear-weapon-free world. The strength of the Treaty lay in its back-up by a global verification regime with more than 300 International Monitoring System stations strategically located all around the globe, allowing a detection capability far greater than what was once thought possible. With 185 signatures and 170 ratifications, progress had been made toward the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty’s universalization, which was an essential step forward toward a nuclear-weapons-free world.
STANISLAV RAŠČAN, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, said the Conference had made an irreplaceable contribution to the global peace and security and the political deadlock which prevented it from fulfilling its core mandate was regrettable. There was no reason to hold back many candidate countries including Slovenia, which had waited for membership for over two decades. Slovenia condemned the unprovoked invasion by the armed forces of the Russian Federation into Ukraine and called on Russia to cease its unprovoked military aggression. Slovenia expected that the Russian Federation would remain engaged in the Strategic Stability Dialogue with the United States to lay the foundation for a more robust future arms control regime. Slovenia supported the efforts aimed at making the existing Rules of Procedure of Conference on Disarmament more gender-neutral.
JAN LIPAVSKÝ, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, said the world was at a breaking point, with one of the five States recognized by the Non-Proliferation Treaty as nuclear weapon states declaring the high alert of its nuclear forces. What justified such an extraordinary measure? Recent steps by Russia were a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. The Czech Republic condemned the unacceptable behaviour of the Russian Federation, and urged Russia to stop its military actions and withdraw all forces from Ukraine. The Czech Republic stood with Ukraine and its people.
CORNEL FERUTA, Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies of Romania, said Romania attached great value to the role of the Conference as the world’s only multilateral disarmament treaty negotiating body. Romania condemned the military aggression against Ukraine and rejected aggressive behaviour which undermined the foundations of the rules-based international order. No nuclear scenario should be treated lightly, and countries should never abandon efforts to prevent a nuclear war. Romania urged Russia to uphold its commitments and to turn back from the path of violence and aggression. The immediate start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut–off Treaty was the next step for advancing nuclear disarmament and preventing proliferation. A collective renewed commitment toward strengthening the Conference on Disarmament and guarantee its proper functioning was required.
BENEDETTO DELLA VEDOVA, Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, said that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine violated international law, urging Russia to cease military actions; Italy was concerned about the situation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Italy urged Iran to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency with full and timely cooperation, and also condemned ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. A rules-based international system and effective multilateralism was of utmost importance in addressing global challenges and threats to international peace and security. Italy fully shared the goal of a peaceful and secure world free of nuclear weapons. The Conference on Disarmament was indispensable in the toolbox of the disarmament community, even if its potential remained unfulfilled.
VELISLAVA PETROVA, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, said Russia’s aggressive military intervention was an attempt to reshape the security landscape. Bulgaria strongly condemned that aggression and the involvement of Belarus in that act. The situation required urgent measures, with the Conference on Disarmament doing its part in restoring multilateralism and dialogue. However, the last time the Conference successfully negotiated a treaty was in 1996, with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was yet to enter into force. Bulgaria was convinced that the Conference on Disarmament could advance. The Non-Proliferation Treaty remained a cornerstone of nuclear disarmament, and multilateralism remained the most effective tool for overcoming political differences. The area of disarmament was not an exception.
NALEDI PANDOR, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, said South Africa had been through an extensive process of transformation, which fundamentally altered apartheid South Africa to lead to the creation of a democratic state. That approach formed the basis of the country’s engagement in disarmament diplomacy. South Africa’s commitment to disarmament was based on the belief that international peace and security could not be divorced from development. As the Tenth Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference approached, it was imperative to take stock of the progress made toward all treaty provisions. South Africa remained committed to engaging in substantive work on all agenda items of the Conference.
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not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.
CD22.0013E