Tatiana Valovaya Calls on the Conference on Disarmament to Steer the World Away from the Perilous Erosion of Disarmament Norms

Tatiana Valovoya, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, today called on the Conference to demonstrate creativity and flexibility to steer the world away from the perilous erosion of disarmament norms and arrangements witnessed in recent years.

Ms. Valovaya said this year was unfolding against a backdrop of increased conflict and tension, underscoring the urgent need for progress in disarmament.  She commended the delegates for returning to consensus on the Conference’s report last year and on the annual resolution adopted by the General Assembly in December.

A successful outcome in the work of the Conference would help to rebuild international trust and confidence, Ms. Valovoya said.  She called on the Conference to pursue a stronger, more networked and inclusive multilateral system to navigate the evolving landscape of security threats.

Ms. Valovoya implored the Conference to continue exploring small steps that could improve its effective functioning, including more regular and systematic engagement with other United Nations disarmament bodies.  She stood ready to support all initiatives to advance the work of the Conference and reinvigorate this crucial forum.

Speaking in the plenary were Argentina, Israel, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belgium (on behalf of the European Union), Egypt, Iraq, Zimbabwe, United States, Republic of Korea, Norway, Germany, Italy, Cameroon, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico, Algeria and Nigeria.

The next plenary of the Conference on Disarmament will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 30 January, to continue to hear general statements, and right of reply statements.  The Conference will also address requests from non-member States that wish to participate in the 2024 session as observers.

Statement by the Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament

TATIANA VALOVOYA, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, said this year was unfolding against a backdrop of increased conflict and tension, underscoring the urgent need for progress in disarmament.  She commended the delegates for returning to consensus on the Conference’s report last year and on the annual resolution adopted by the General Assembly in December.

As the single multilateral negotiating forum for disarmament, the Conference played a pivotal role in crafting effective solutions to contemporary and emerging challenges.  Today the world faced a new and complex set of security issues.  A successful outcome in the work of the Conference would help to rebuild international trust and confidence.  The international community needed to pursue a stronger, more networked and inclusive multilateral system to navigate the evolving landscape of security threats. 

Ms. Valovoya urged the Conference to return to proven methods and approaches to establish the programme of work, and to continue efforts to ensure inclusivity in its work, bearing in mind the principle of multilateralism and the goal of attaining the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.  Each delegate needed to demonstrate creativity and flexibility to steer the world away from the perilous erosion of disarmament norms and arrangements witnessed in recent years.  In the Secretary-General’s words, “it is the political decisions and actions of human beings that can either sustain or crush hopes for peace.” 

In the past, partial measures and efforts to build transparency and confidence had served as crucial steps toward the negotiation and elaboration of legally binding instruments, including on core items on the agenda of the Conference. She encouraged delegates to consider how these approaches might benefit the work of the Conference across its entire agenda.

Following the 2024 session of the Conference was the Summit of the Future.  In his Policy Brief on a New Agenda for Peace, the Secretary-General had underscored the need to reform the United Nations disarmament machinery.  This included the Conference on Disarmament and the Disarmament Commission, which needed to optimise their respective roles, including to build consensus progressively on evolving disarmament priorities.

Ms. Valovoya urged the Conference to continue exploring small steps that could improve its effective functioning, including more regular and systematic engagement with other United Nations disarmament bodies, especially those that had taken up issues relevant to the agenda of the Conference.  Ms. Valovoya stood ready to support all initiatives to advance the work of the Conference and reinvigorate this crucial forum.

Discussion

FEDERICO VILLEGAS, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that this would be the last meeting of the Conference on Disarmament that he would attend.  He wished the best of success to the Conference in adopting its programme of work and moving on to substantive matters, and extended well-wishes to the current and upcoming Presidents.  The Conference needed to regain trust and pursue peace.  He expressed hope that the Conference could regain credibility and contribute to peace and security.

Several speakers expressed full support to the Indian Presidency, praising the President’s transparent approach and wishing him success.  Speakers also expressed well-wishes to the outgoing Argentinean delegate and new State representatives.  Some speakers also expressed thanks for the work of six Presidents in the 2023 session of the Conference, which had led to consensus on the annual report.  Some speakers expressed support for the subsidiary bodies established in 2022 and called for a continuation of their work.  One speaker called for the rules of procedure to be restructured to allow the Conference’s subsidiary bodies to resume their work each year, rather than requiring them to be re-established from scratch. 

Some speakers expressed support for efforts to revitalise the Conference, including the retreat in Montreux held in 2023 on the topic, and called for such efforts to continue.  One speaker called for the issue of revitalising the Conference on Disarmament to be addressed by the General Assembly.  The Conference on Disarmament should interact better with the rest of the United Nations system and work to repair its image.

Speakers expressed support for working constructively with other delegates and for finding compromised solutions that considered the positions of all States. Some speakers expressed disappointment that the Conference had not reached consensus on its programme of work or commenced substantive work for consecutive years due to increasing polarisation and the deteriorating international security situation.  The Conference needed to modernise its working methods to avoid procedural debates and promote inclusivity, and to adopt a balanced programme of work. 

Some speakers said that they would spare no efforts to end the Conference’s stalemate. Breaking the deadlock required political will to prevent politicisation and decrease tensions.  States needed to bring the Conference back to substantive work. Multilateralism, dialogue and transparency needed to be the cornerstone of all disarmament efforts.  Delegates needed to be accepting of diverging views, and efforts needed to be made to rebuild trust.

Some speakers supported the expansion of the Conference on Disarmament.  Some said that States needed to stop blocking observer States for political reasons.  The voices of as many States as possible needed to be heard, some speakers said, calling for the participation of observer States without discrimination. One speaker proposed that all United Nations Member States be allowed to participate in the Conference as observers. However, one speaker said that some observer States had abused their privileges last year, saying that the Conference should not be a forum for voicing national or regional objectives. One speaker called for the participation of civil society in the meetings of the Conference. 

The Conference on Disarmament needed to promote the equal participation of men and women in disarmament work, some speakers said.  One speaker called for the word “he” used in reference to the President of the Conference to be removed from the Conference’s English rules of procedure.  The Conference needed to be fully inclusive and encompass all views.  One speaker expressed support for the implementation of the women, peace and security agenda. 

Some speakers noted that in recent years, the global security situation had rapidly deteriorated and geopolitical tensions had grown.  International peace and security needed to be preserved and multilateral diplomacy revitalised.  A strategic vision needed to be adopted when dealing with security challenges.  There was a need to strengthen and enhance the global multilateral machinery.  Some speakers supported the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-General’s “New Agenda for Peace”.  One speaker said that the collective West was contributing to the polarisation of the world, seeking to overthrow global order.  The West sought to achieve military supremacy, taking steps to crush international treaties and organizations.  Russia’s decision to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus should be viewed in this context, the speaker said.

Several speakers said nuclear weapons threatened the existence of humanity. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament regime, some speakers said, expressing support for its three pillars and the Tenth Review Conference action plan.  These speakers called for all States to join the Treaty and expressed support for its full implementation.  The failure of the Tenth Review Conference was a great disappointment, one speaker said, expressing hope that future review conferences would achieve more progress. 

Some speakers called for a legally binding treaty on the elimination of nuclear weapons. Some speakers called on all States to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty without delay, expressing concern regarding Russia’s decision to de-ratify the treaty last year. Some States said that negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty needed to start.  Speakers called on China to join other nuclear States in announcing a moratorium on the production of fissile materials. 

Some speakers raised concerns that certain States were threatening to use nuclear weapons in regional and international conflicts. Only complete nuclear disarmament would remove the existential threats posed by these weapons.  Nuclear weapon States needed to respect their international obligations.  One speaker said that nuclear disarmament should be carried out in a step-by-step approach that did not threaten the security of any States.  One speaker called for the resumption of the New START Treaty and welcomed dialogue between the United States and China on nuclear disarmament.  Some speakers said the Conference needed to concentrate on nuclear risk reduction and make progress on radiological weapons. 

Some States said achieving progress on negative security assurances was of utmost necessity for protecting non-nuclear States. All nuclear weapon countries needed to uphold their commitments and pay special attention to the prevention of a nuclear war, which would be fatal for the whole world.  Some speakers expressed support for starting negotiations on a treaty on this issue.  Other speakers expressed support for the broadening of non-nuclear zones.  One speaker said the Conference needed to analyse threats posed by security agreements between nuclear and non-nuclear weapon States, which was provoking another nuclear arms race. 

Several speakers said weapons of mass destruction needed to be destroyed for the benefit of global peace.  Some speakers expressed support for the establishment of zones free of weapons of mass destruction, which contributed to stabilising global security.  The Middle East needed to be freed from weapons of mass destruction.  One speaker said that the issue of establishing such a zone in the Middle East was a regional matter and was not appropriate for discussion at the Conference on Disarmament. 

In reference to the conflict in the Middle East, some speakers said that Hamas had brutally attacked Israel on 7 October, violating international norms.  One speaker called on States to stop funding this terrorist group.  States needed to acknowledge and condemn the brutal actions of Hamas.  Those calling for a ceasefire needed to also call for the release of hostages, the speaker said.  Some speakers called for Israel to cease its hostility against the Palestinian people and respect its responsibilities according to international law, including the principles of necessity and proportionality in its military activities. 

The international system had been unable to stop Israel’s policy of enforced displacement and collective punishment of the Palestinian people.  The attacks against civilians in Gaza by Israel were flagrant violations of international law, some speakers said, adding that attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians were deplorable.  Israel needed to allow the delivery of medical and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.  Some speakers said a two-State solution based on international resolutions needed to be implemented, and for a Palestinian State to be established with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Some speakers raised concerns that Iran was proliferating nuclear weapons and advancing a military nuclear programme.  There needed to be a precise international response to Iran’s actions.

Several speakers said it was essential to discuss military behaviour in outer space.  The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 established a framework for international activities in space that needed to be respected.  Bans on the placement of weapons in outer space were needed.  One speaker said countries of the West were building their force potential in outer space under the pretext of protecting their assets. The activities of the Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats had created a foundation for elaborating a multilateral agreement on the subject. An approach based on behaviours was the most important in this regard, one speaker said.  The Conference should not pre-empt the work of the Open-Ended Working Group, another speaker said.  Some speakers expressed support for the Conference beginning discussions on a treaty on preventing an arms race in outer space.

Some speakers said that the Conference needed to stay vigilant regarding emergent threats posed by new technologies.  Rapidly advancing and converging technologies had the potential to transform conflicts.  Ways of effectively managing the use of new technologies needed to be discussed. Some speakers said there was a need to approach artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems in a prudent, measured manner.  International norms, rules and regulations needed to be established to ensure the responsible use of these technologies, one speaker said.  A common understanding on the legal and ethical implications of these technologies needed to be reached.  Another speaker, however, said there were advantages to the use of artificial intelligence, including from a humanitarian perspective. 

Some speakers said that Russia was carrying out a brutal war of aggression on Ukraine. Russia’s attacks had caused damage to civilian infrastructure and killed peaceful civilians.  Russia would be held accountable for its infractions of international law.  One speaker said that the Ukrainian crisis was being aggravated by the West.  Some speakers expressed concern about the placement of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, which represented a clear threat to global security and further heightened global tensions.  Russia needed to immediately, unconditionally and completely remove all its forces from Ukraine and be held accountable for its actions, these speakers said.  Russia had abused the consensus rule to block key decisions in disarmament fora and sought to block the participation of the European Union in those fora, one speaker said. Some speakers condemned the military support and weapons provided to Russia by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran and Belarus and called on these States to cease their support. 

Some speakers condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for building up its nuclear arsenal, calling on the State to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.  The Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s exports of ballistic missiles had grave implications on the security situation in the region and beyond, they said. 

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DC.24.02E

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.