Here is the full text of his statement:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Mr. Chairman,
I would like to express my warmest congratulations on your election to the Chairmanship of this Committee and assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation. We are happy that this important committee is being held under the guidance of a wise and experienced diplomat from Algeria whose dedicated service to the cause of disarmament is well-known.
My delegation associates itself with the statement made by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
We seriously follow the debates on issues on the agenda of this Committee, as they deal with the most important common goods of all nations, i.e. disarmament and international security. As our detailed positions on disarmament issues will be elaborated in thematic debates, I will therefore focus only on certain issues of particular importance to us.
Nuclear disarmament: the highest priority and unfulfilled obligation
Mr. Chairman,
Nuclear disarmament remains the first and foremost priority in the disarmament and international security agenda. The mere existence of nuclear weapons is a source of threat and distrust in international relations. They undermine the Charter-based principle of equal right of all States to peace and security and the foundations of international humanitarian law. Nuclear disarmament is a vital undertaking, because the consequences of inaction can be global catastrophe. Along with reaffirming commitment to nuclear disarmament, action and political will is required to fulfill that objective.
Seven decades after the first use of atomic weapons which created a humanitarian disaster and killed more than 200,000 people, there is no absolute guarantee that such weapons will not be used again. Thousands of them that are associated with military strategies and war plans, which contemplate their use under certain circumstances, continue to exist in the arsenals of nuclear-weapon States and other possessors.
That is because nuclear-weapon States are not complying with their nuclear disarmament obligations. Almost half a century after the conclusion of the NPT under which all the States parties have an explicit legal obligation to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons, the gap between that nominal commitment and its implementation in practice is so wide. Upholding the integrity and credibility of NPT depends on the full implementation of all the obligations therein, in particular on nuclear disarmament.
Even more disappointing, contrary to the commitment of nuclear-weapon States to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their military doctrine, multi-billion-dollar programs for modernizing and replacing the nuclear arsenals and developing new types of advanced nuclear weapon systems are underway, in particular in France, United Kingdom and the United States.
Undoubtedly, they should be held accountable for such willful non-compliances with their obligations under Article VI of the NPT. The grave risks and ramifications of persistent non-compliance with such obligations should not be taken lightly. They must stop violating their nuclear disarmament obligations. We will continue to express our deep concerns in this regard in appropriate international fora.
A comprehensive convention is the only practical option to put nuclear disarmament process in the right direction
Mr. Chairman,
The lack of progress in the implementation of the very commitments that nuclear-weapon States have already embraced in the context of NPT Review Conferences has rendered the so-called step-by-step approach to nuclear disarmament ineffective. This approach is not working and will not lead to a world free of nuclear weapons. This verdict is based on facts. No multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations have taken place during the past two decades as a result of the persistent rejection of any proposal to commence nuclear disarmament negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament. Even the CTBT, with all its imperfections and loopholes, is still in limbo and the politically motivated attempts, by a certain country, in abusing the UN Security Council to pass a resolution on this Treaty is neither legitimate nor a solution.
Step-by-step approach has failed to even establish and consolidate a legally-binding global norm against nuclear weapons testing or production and stockpiling of fissile material for nuclear weapons. Those who adamantly continue to insist on the failed step-by-step approach to nuclear disarmament should note that they are insisting on a recipe for ensuring the indefinite retention of nuclear weapons, which, definitely, is contrary to legal obligations under Article VI of the NPT.
We believe the most effective and practical way to achieve the complete abolition of nuclear weapons within a specified timeframe and sustain a world free of nuclear weapons is to negotiate and bring to conclusion a comprehensi