Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones Show States’ Refusal to Be Bound by Inaction
The Russian Federation is attempting to “bring down the entire disarmament house” for its immediate geopolitical goals, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as its thematic debate concluded on regional security and began on the UN disarmament machinery.
Noting that current problems go far beyond the disarmament machinery’s inadequacies, the United States’ representative said the Russian Federation is exploiting procedural rules to obstruct progress and veto anything with which it does not agree. Today’s world is characterized by tumultuous competition and potential conflict among shifting Powers, with the tense geopolitical environment making rapid progress difficult, he said.
The Russian Federation’s delegate said certain States misuse the Conference on Disarmament to “settle political scores” and push their priorities. Western calls to revise the current architecture with non-binding rules is unacceptable and fraught with confrontation. Member States should adhere to the structure’s rules and procedures.
The representative of Pakistan said finding a procedural fix for a substantive security problem will not break the impasse. What is essential is recognizing the principle of all States’ equal right to security. All discussions and approaches must be grounded in this basic premise. The Conference on Disarmament’s strength lies in all militarily significant States participating on an equal footing.
Bangladesh expressed deep concern over the erosion of the rules-based multilateral system in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. “We can no longer afford to be caught in the never-ending loop”, he said, adding that continued impasse is entirely unsustainable. He advocates for a more focused First Committee and a review of its working methods to enhance efficiency and relevance.
The United Kingdom maintained that while the disarmament machinery, like the rest of the multilateral system, “is far from perfect, it is the best we have”, its representative said. Voicing concern about the prevailing climate of deep mistrust between States, the bad faith of some delegations and the abuse of the practice of consensus, he expressed regret over “our collective failure to identify our common interest” in further strengthening and developing the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture.
It is not “mission impossible”, said China’s delegate, who noted some modest progress. The UN disarmament machinery does not work in a vacuum, he said, adding that neither the machinery nor its rules of procedure can be blamed for the current problems. Member States should have confidence in it. The solution, he said, lies in upholding true multilateralism.
During the thematic debate on regional disarmament and security, several speakers converged around the complementary relationship between regional and global disarmament efforts. Among them was Brazil’s representative, who deemed nuclear-weapon-free zones as an excellent example of synergy between regional and global efforts toward a nuclear-weapon-free world. Through these zones, non-nuclear-weapon States are turning the tables and exercising their agency, refusing to be shackled to others’ whims. Regional Powers refused to cross their arms in despair and have been exerting tireless efforts to stave off risk of nuclear contagion, the speaker said.
In the Middle East, however, a nuclear-weapon-free zone has remained elusive despite urgent and persistent appeals. Procrastination in implementing the General Assembly’s 1995 resolution on the issue has negative repercussions, Iraq’s delegate warned. The region must quickly create such a zone through fundamental steps, including the denuclearization of the “Israeli entity”, he stressed.
The First Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 26 October, to conclude its thematic debate on the disarmament machinery....
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https://press.un.org/en/2023/gadis3726.doc.htm
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