Conference on disarmament opens high-level segment

Hears From Colombia, Peru, Indonesia, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Greece, Sweden, Pakistan, Spain, Finland, Canada and Qatar.

The Conference on Disarmament this morning opened its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Colombia, Peru, Indonesia, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Greece, Sweden, Pakistan, Spain, Finland, Canada, and Qatar.

Speaking were Marta Lucia Ramirez, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia; César Landa Arroyo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru; Retno L.P Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia; Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom; Nikos Dendias, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece; Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden; Sohail Mahmood, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan; José Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain; Jarmo Viinanen, Ambassador for Disarmament, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland; Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada; and Ahmad Hassen Al-Hammadi, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar.

The Conference will next meet in public today at 3 p.m., to continue with the high-level segment.

High-Level Segment

MARTA LUCIA RAMIREZ, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, said that multilateralism was the most important mechanism to resolve conflicts happening in the world. Colombia rejected the attack on the people of Ukraine by Russia, which jeopardized peace and security in Europe and globally. Calling on the international community to address the legal consequences of Russia’s attacks and on the Conference of Disarmament to react to the situation, she underscored that the Conference had the mandate to agree on nuclear issues. The strengthening of multilateralism was the only measure to tackle the tension and deal with the unacceptable risks and threats, which could result in disastrous humanitarian consequences. Colombia insisted on the need to find a diplomatic way out of the confrontation, with the events in Ukraine highlighting the need for political will to tackle the challenges for disarmament.

CÉSAR LANDA ARROYO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, condemned the military offensive against Ukraine, which violated the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the country. The parties concerned must find peaceful solutions to their differences via diplomatic negotiation. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the possible use of nuclear weapons in outbreaks of war were three challenges which affected the whole world and threatened collective security. The strengthening of rule-based multilateralism was crucial to tackle those challenges; Peru was alarmed by trillions of dollars of military expenditures and a new arms race. Reaffirming the historic commitment of Peru to multilateralism, he underscored that the renewal of the work of the Conference of Disarmament was pressing.

RETNO L.P MARSUDI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, said that progress for the Conference had been slow. With the current geopolitical climate, and escalating tension between nuclear weapons states, the threat of a nuclear war became ever-present. That should encourage the international community to act with more urgency; think of the consequences of inaction; and galvanize stronger political push for a nuclear-free world. Renewed commitment to nuclear disarmament, as well as strengthening the global nuclear disarmament architecture, was essential for moving forward. The future of the Conference was in the hands of its member States. Concrete action taken today could go a long way toward efforts for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

SANTIAGO CAFIERO, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, noted that the Conference on Disarmament was meeting in dramatic circumstances. Argentina had appealed to the Russian Federation to end hostilities, and reiterated the need for everyone to adhere to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Nuclear technology should be used just for peaceful purposes, to build a region of peace and a system of peace. Argentina had always had a clear position supporting the creation of nuclear-free regions or areas. There was a dispute on sovereignty between Argentina and the United Kingdom on the Malvinas and the surrounding islands; that dispute was worsened by the military presence of the United Kingdom. Argentina renewed its commitment to the global international programme.

LORD (TARIQ) AHMAD, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom, said that the deteriorating security environment was a deep concern. Russia’s attack on Ukraine cast a dark shadow over the work of the Conference, because the security environment set the context for what could be achieved on disarmament. The United Kingdom was unwavering in is support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The United Kingdom’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty remained undiminished. The Conference had a key role to play as the world’s only multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament. It was down to every nation to make the mechanism productive and confront problems with an open and constructive attitude.

NIKOS DENDIAS, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, said the complex global security environment had become increasingly volatile, adding that attacks in Ukraine must stop immediately, and disarmament treaties must be upheld. Greece stood ready to contribute toward de-escalation. The preservation and universalisation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and its three pillars were at the core of the global non-proliferation and disarmament architecture. Enlargement of the Conference was an issue of great importance; Greece was of the view that there was no reason to exclude United Nations member States from disarmament discussions. Participation in negotiations on disarmament issues should not be restricted to only sixty-five countries, especially at a time when global security arrangements required global partnerships.

ANN LINDE, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, said that the start of 2022 had seen some positive developments, particularly the joint statement by the five nuclear weapons states that a nuclear war could not be won and must never be fought. Yet Russia’s military attack against Ukraine was a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. Given the current security situation, the risk of another nuclear arms race, or actual nuclear use, could not be ignored. To effectively tackle disarmament challenges, all available multilateral platforms must made use of, including the Conference of Disarmament. It was deeply troubling that the forum had remained in a deadlock for the last decade. Political will was needed to allow the Conference to fulfil its purpose. Sweden had a longstanding commitment to disarmament, with a goal to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

SOHAIL MAHMOOD, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, military applications of

artificial intelligence and quantum computing were leading to more lethal methods

and tools of modern warfare, adding that the Conference should not remain oblivious to that and other drivers of instability at global and regional levels. The Conference on Disarmament should promote security on international and regional levels, create conditions that were conducive to the inalienable right to equal security by all States. All States, especially those with the largest military arsenals, had a special responsibility to demonstrate political will to enable the Conference to deliver on its mandate. The world today faced a range of security, economic, social and environmental challenges, which could only be overcome by cooperative multilateralism with the United Nations at its core. An international instrument on negative security assurances could and should serve as a transformational measure and a gateway to nuclear disarmament.

JOSÉ MANUEL ALBARES BUENO, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, noted that the shadow of war was over Europe once again, adding that the international community could not allow itself to overlook disarmament, which was a guarantee of international peace and security. It was hoped that the review conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty would be a turning point which would make it possible to start a new cycle with concrete measures that promoted the three pillars of the Treaty, and to leave behind the standstill of recent years. Spain would continue to fully support the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. A consensus has been reached on a structure of subsidiary bodies which granted Spain a responsibility it would shoulder.

JARMO VIINANEN, Ambassador for Disarmament, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, said the international community was facing a deteriorated global security environment with unacceptable claims for spheres of influence. The Russian Federation had challenged and breached mutually agreed norms and principles. Russia’s ongoing assault targeted Ukraine but was also an attack on the entire European and global security order. Russia should cease military operations immediately and its forces should return to Russia. Finland stood with Ukraine. Welcoming the January statement by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on the inadmissibility of nuclear war and the importance of nuclear risk reduction, he added that Finland sought reinforced commitment and efforts by all nuclear weapon possessors to nuclear disarmament. A good interim step would be a commitment to not to increase the number of nuclear weapons.

MELANIE JOLY, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, said a war of aggression was taking place in Ukraine, the greatest threat to peace since the end of the Second World War. The Conference on Disarmament had a special role to play in fostering world peace and security at the present time; indeed, a responsibility to do so. The rules-based international order was under serious strain. Together with partners, Canada was pushing for pragmatic, meaningful ways to implement the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, and actively participating in cross-regional groups, including the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative and the Stockholm Initiative on Nuclear Disarmament. Canada called for the immediate entry into force of the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, as well as the immediate commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. Peace and security were a shared responsibility.

AHMAD HASSEN AL-HAMMADI, Secretary General Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, expressed hope that the Conference on Disarmament would be able to break away from its deadlock, with member States having the political will and flexibility needed to adopt a balanced program of work. Nuclear weapons were a sword held up against the world; any mis-assessment could lead to their use, which would put an end to life on earth. The only way to rid the world of nuclear risk was to create a world free of nuclear weapons. Qatar had always participated in international disarmament fora, and it was hoped that the tenth review conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty would be held soon, as it was important to create a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media;
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.

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