Conference on Disarmament Holds First Plenary of its 2024 Session under the Presidency of India
The Conference on Disarmament today held the first plenary of its 2024 session under the Presidency of India, hearing addresses by the President of the Conference and a number of States. The Conference adopted its agenda for the session.
Ambassador Anupam Ray of India, President of the Conference on Disarmament, said the Conference on Disarmament had contributed to a robust global security architecture, however, currently, the threat of war loomed and had the potential to dismantle this security architecture. All members of the Conference had the responsibility to fight the challenges to everyone’s collective security.
Mr. Ray expressed regret that the Conference, the world’s single multilateral disarmament forum, had not been able to undertake substantive discussions for a quarter-century due to the geopolitical environment in which it functioned. There were areas of convergences and divergences in each delegation’s approach to disarmament. The Indian Presidency would aim to broaden convergences and narrow divergences. Mr. Ray said he would focus on finding agreement on the programme of work of the Conference. An imperfect solution was better than no solution.
The President closed with an ancient Sanskrit prayer calling for the members to be united in purpose, and to find harmony and peace.
Speaking in the plenary were Ireland, Norway, Malaysia, Finland, Japan, Pakistan, Russian Federation, United States, Belgium, Viet Nam (on behalf of the Group of 21), Tunisia, France, Iran, Indonesia, Brazil, Cuba, South Africa, Canada, Spain, Hungary and China.
The next plenary of the Conference on Disarmament will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 25 January. The Conference will hear a statement by Tatiana Valovaya, the Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament and the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. It will also continue to hear general statements as well as right of reply statements.
Opening Remarks by the President of the Conference on Disarmament
ANUPAM RAY, Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament and President of the Conference on Disarmament, said he was honoured to open the 2024 session of the Conference as its President. He extended greetings to new representatives of Ireland, Norway, Malaysia, Finland, Japan and Pakistan who assumed their responsibilities since the closure of the previous session.
The Palais des Nations, which had endured multiple periods of conflict, represented an aspiration for a better world and peace between nations. The work of the Conference on Disarmament had a particularly relevant purpose in this regard. Predecessors within the Conference had contributed to a robust global security architecture, however, currently, the threat of war loomed and had the potential to dismantle this security architecture. All members of the Conference had the responsibility to fight the challenges to everyone’s collective security.
The Conference on Disarmament, the world’s single multilateral disarmament forum, had not been able to undertake substantive discussions for a quarter-century due to the geopolitical environment in which it functioned. Successive presidents had made efforts to achieve consensus in the deliberations of the Conference. There were areas of convergences and divergences in each delegation’s approach to disarmament. The Indian Presidency would aim to broaden convergences and narrow divergences. There was broad agreement amongst members to build on existing understandings and commonalities. Mr. Ray said he would focus on finding agreement on the programme of work of the Conference. An imperfect solution was better than no solution.
The President closed with an ancient Sanskrit prayer calling for the members to be united in purpose, and to find harmony and peace.
The Conference adopted the draft agenda for its 2024 session.
Summary of Discussion
Speakers congratulated the President on his accession to the Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament in 2024, wishing him success and offering their support. Speakers expressed appreciation for the President’s outreach work and his desire to achieve results in the Conference that met the aspirations of the international community in terms of non-proliferation and disarmament.
Many speakers expressed their support for multilateralism and the work of the Conference as the world’s single multilateral negotiating body in the field of disarmament. They regretted the lack of progress made by the Conference and its inability to agree on a programme of work over the past 20 years. It should not be a forum for discussing bilateral grievances, they said. The Conference needed to be preserved, its role and mandate strengthened, and its substantive work resumed.
Some speakers welcomed that last year, the Conference had achieved consensus on its annual report for the 2023 session. States noted efforts made in 2023 to revitalise the work of the Conference. Some speakers expressed intentions to combat obstructionism and defend inclusion in the Conference, saying that the work of the Conference should be inclusive and open to all United Nations Member States. One speaker called on the President to present a robust proposal for a programme of work to ensure that the Conference could address urgent topics. The Conference needed to primarily consider legally binding multilateral disarmament instruments. Compromise was needed to restore the subsidiary bodies of the Conference formed in 2022, some speakers said. One speaker said a critical reflection on the functioning of the Conference on Disarmament was needed, including a careful analysis of its working methods.
Speakers said that the current global security landscape was marred by chaos and uncertainty. The world had entered a new period of instability. The disintegration of the international security order had occurred due to increasing military spending, geopolitical tensions, polarisation and weapons development. The work of the Conference was increasingly necessary and relevant as global threats intensified. Speakers expressed their desire to work towards tackling insecurity and threats by advancing the substantive work of the Conference. Diplomacy and dialogue were needed to resolve differences and realise common prosperity. One speaker expressed support for the United Nations Secretary-General’s “New Agenda for Peace”.
The presence of nuclear weapons was the biggest threat to global security, some speakers said, calling for nuclear disarmament. Some speakers raised concerns that nuclear weapon States had failed to fulfil their disarmament commitments and were building up their nuclear arsenals. It was deplorable that some States had threatened to use nuclear weapons against other States. Some speakers said States needed to commit to eliminating all nuclear arsenals. Some speakers said the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons needed to be defended and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty needed to enter into force as soon as possible. Some speakers expressed support for the Draft Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, calling for its installation. Negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear weapons treaty needed to begin immediately. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s nuclear weapons testing activities represented a significant threat, one speaker said. The speaker called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to respect international law and cease nuclear weapons tests.
The use of artificial intelligence in weapons systems was expanding at an alarming rate, one speaker said. Some speakers called for members of the Conference to discuss ways of limiting the use of artificial intelligence in weapons systems. Some speakers called for discussions to commence on a fissile materials cut-off treaty. Other speakers called for negotiations to be advanced on treaties addressing the prohibition of an arms race in outer space and negative security assurances. One speaker expressed support for the work of the Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats, saying that it could be a basis for developing a legal instrument on the topic. Some speakers called for gender and youth to be considered by the Conference, and for the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in the work of the Conference. One speaker said States needed to consider the ramifications of climate change and environmental degradation.
Some Speakers presented local, bilateral and multilateral efforts to diffuse conflicts and promote disarmament, including through promoting the ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention and Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and working to review and strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and participating in related multilateral fora.
Several States addressed the conflict in the Middle East. The existence of weapons of mass destruction continued to pose a significant threat in the region, one speaker said, calling for the establishment of a zone free of such weapons in the Middle East. Some speakers said that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and actions against the Palestinian people were contrary to the United Nations Charter and international law. Many speakers called for a lasting ceasefire in the region, and for Israel to end its blockade on aid into occupied Palestinian territory. The bloodshed in Gaza needed to stop. Speakers also called for the immediate release of all hostages. Some speakers advocated for a two-State solution to the conflict, describing it as the only way of building lasting peace. Some speakers said Israel had been blatantly violating international law for decades through indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure and collectively punishing civilians. It needed to be held accountable for its acts. The international community could not permit the loss of innocent lives. Israel also needed to put all its nuclear activities under international safeguards.
Some States discussed the conflict in Ukraine, expressing support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and condemning Russia’s aggression, attacks on civilians and nuclear threats. One speaker expressed concern regarding military provocation occurring in South Asia.
Representatives newly assuming their posts took the floor to introduce themselves and conveyed their wishes to work constructively with the Conference and revitalise the Conference’s work. Other speakers expressed their support for and desire to work closely with these representatives.
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DC.24.01E
Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.