CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT OPENS HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT, HEARS FROM DIGNITARIES FROM KAZAKHSTAN, UNITED KINGDOM, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, TURKEY AND BELARUS
The Conference on Disarmament this morning opened its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Turkey and Belarus.
Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said that nuclear disarmament was one of the most pressing issues on the contemporary agenda, and that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons - and its vision of achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world in 2045 - was a reality that could not be ignored.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, noted that 2019 marked a century of disarmament negotiations in Geneva and the fortieth anniversary of the Conference on Disarmament, and stressed that today’s arms control framework was one the greatest achievements of the rules-based system.
Kyung-Wha Kang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, stressed that the hope of finding a way to restore the credibility of the Conference on Disarmament must not be lost - if a major breakthrough was out of reach now, it should continue to lay down small stepping stones, such as furthering the works of the subsidiary bodies.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, recalled that the leading multilateral arrangements on nuclear, chemical and biological weapon were all negotiated in this body; while they might not make headlines today, they were the cornerstones of international peace and security. Steps to undermine them would not benefit anyone.
Andrei Dapkiunas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, said that the world was experiencing a global security crisis, and stressed the key role of the Conference in the immediate and comprehensive multilateral talks to overcome disagreements. It should also urgently address the risks of new and emerging technologies to disarmament and non-proliferation.
The Conference will next meet at 3 p.m. today, Monday 25 February, to hear an address by António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, and other dignitaries, as it continues its high-level segment.
Statements
YERZHAN ASHIKBAYEV, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, at the outset stressed that the key to reaching consensus on critical issues lay in the ability of States to demonstrate political will, to compromise, and to find mutual ground. The politicization of discussions did not bring any practical value to resolving issues that stood before the Conference; confidence building was a key factor and fundamental element of any negotiation process. The call for dialogue was the main pillar of the Manifesto “World. 21st century” presented by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, which envisioned a world based on unity and cooperation and not division and rivalry. The year 2019 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear-weapon State, Mr. Ashikbayev said and stressed that given the turbulent situation in the world, States did not have the right to let another Review Conference become a failure.
Kazakhstan was concerned about the situation around the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which jeopardized international security and the nuclear disarmament architecture, and could provoke a new arms race in different parts of the world. Nuclear disarmament, the Deputy Minister continued, was one of the most pressing issues on the contemporary agenda. Over the past decades, the United Nations Member States had not been able to develop any multilateral document on nuclear disarmament, while bilateral nuclear reduction agreements had been put at risk as well. In this vein, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was a reality that could not be ignored, as it corresponded to the vision of achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world in 2045. Mr. Ashikbayev called for the earliest entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and an early start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.
LORD AHMAD OF WIMBLEDON, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, noted that 2019 marked a century of disarmament negotiations in Geneva and the fortieth anniversary of the Conference on Disarmament. The arms control framework, one the greatest achievements of the rules-based system, was under threat today, including from States that had willingly agreed to it and now wilfully ignored it. In this grim context, the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un was a positive news, and the United Kingdom urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to negotiate in good faith and honour its commitments.
For almost a century, the Minister continued, the use of chemical weapons had been a taboo, but in recent years they had been deployed with devastating effects in Syria, Iraq, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. In response, it had been proposed to add two new families of Novichok agents to the schedule of the Chemical Weapons Convention. States had the right to defend and strengthen conventions and instruments to ensure that they remained effective and relevant in the face of new threats, he stressed. The Conference on Disarmament was a unique forum; if progress was slow, it was not the fault of the institution itself but because the issues at stake were complex and sensitive. But the Conference had been blocked for far too long. The United Kingdom’s proposal to establish subsidiary bodies was intended to deepen the understanding and prepare the ground for eventual negotiating mandates that could form the basis of a programme of work in the near future. Lord Ahmed also emphasized the urgent need to develop a framework for behaviour in outer space, to build trust between space faring nations, and to increase an understanding of behavioural norms.
KYUNG-WHA KANG, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, recalled the Conference on Disarmament’s vital contributions to international peace and security by producing milestone disarmament instruments, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. For the past two decades, however, it had fallen into a deep slumber, even as the world had gradually slid into an increasingly complex and volatile security environment. The expansion of human activity in outer space and cyberspace, combined with the rapid evolution of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons, and digital interference capabilities had further complicated the international security landscape. Also, the world was closely watching the fate of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and its potential impact on the whole disarmament architecture. The Conference on Disarmament must leverage its institutional memory and face up to this new reality, including through discussing expanding its membership and promoting the efficiency of its working methods.
Ms. Kang then said that the developments on the Korean Peninsula were positive news for the global security community, as the course had changed from being an epicentre of global instability for many decades to being a source of hope. It was expected that the second summit between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, soon to take place in Hanoi, would be another important milestone in the efforts to achieve complete denuclearization and establish permanent peace in the Korean Peninsula, she said, adding that the Republic of Korea looked forward to tangible and substantial results coming out of this meeting. The Conference on Disarmament had been a disappointment for a long time, and the worsening geostrategic environment signalled more turbulence ahead. In conclusion, the Minster stressed that the Conference had been born amid even a grimier realities and had pushed through troubling times. The hope of finding a way to restore its credibility must not be lost - if a major breakthrough was out of reach now, it should continue to lay down small stepping stones, such as furthering the works of the subsidiary bodies.
MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the outset stressed that disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control were critical enablers for global safety, security and peace, and they were of even greater value during times of instability and uncertainty. In her part of the world, Turkey was directly confronted by a multitude of risks and threats, and was fighting various terrorist organizations at the same time. Turkey had hosted over 3.6 million people displaced from Syria, which was almost in its ninth year of conflict, and had spent more than $37 billion on their needs; as a responsible member of the international community, it was proud to have done so. The Minister recalled that the leading multilateral arrangements on nuclear, chemical and biological weapon were all negotiated in this body; while they might not make headlines today, they were the cornerstones of international peace and security. Steps to undermine them would not benefit anyone, Mr. Çavuşoğlu stressed, adding that the Conference could not turn a blind eye to the advancements in science and technology which had increased the challenge and associated risks.
The achievement of the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons depended first and foremost on the successful and universal implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. All joint commitments in that matter, including on convening an international conference for a “weapons of mass destruction free Middle East” should be met, Mr. Çavuşoğlu said, adding that States that were in full compliance with their international obligations had the right to utilize the benefits of nuclear energy. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was crucial for global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts, and Turkey called again for its urgent ratification by all relevant parties. In conclusion, the Minister said that Turkey stood ready to work on a non-discriminatory and verifiable treaty to ban the production of fissile material, which must take into account the legitimate concerns of all members of the Conference on Disarmament.
ANDREI DAPKIUNAS, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, noted that the modern disarmament and non-proliferation system was continuing its downward spiral, and in the near future, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty would see a withdrawal of two of its key parties. This document had made an invaluable contribution to alleviating tensions across the European continent and the world as a whole. The fate of other agreements in the nuclear disarmament sphere was being brought into question, as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty had not been able to enter into force for more than 20 years. The world was experiencing a global security crisis, Mr. Dapkiunas said, stressing the key role of the Conference on Disarmament in the immediate, comprehensive, and balanced multilateral talks to overcome disagreements.
The Conference should join in efforts to prevent the use of scientific and technological achievements for malicious and nefarious purposes. Given the rapid developments in science and technology - synthetic biology, cyber threats, artificial intelligence, lethal autonomous weapons systems, and others – those issues were now cutting across all areas of disarmament and non-proliferation. Mr. Dapkiunas said that in September 2019, Belarus together with the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe would hold a high-level international conference on counter-terrorism activities with new and emerging technologies, and so contribute to global efforts against terrorism.
For use of information media; not an official record
DC19.011E