In
the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Distinguished colleagues, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
I
declare open the 235th plenary meeting, the first of the 2000
substantive Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission.
At the outset, I would like to thank
you all for your flexibility and cooperation during the organizational session
of the Commission and particularly in the course of our informal consultations.
The agreement on the provisional agenda reflects the readiness of all delegations
to engage in constructive deliberation, and provides a conducive environment to
make headway in the hard work ahead of us. I rely on your continued support,
cooperation and accommodation to ensure successful conclusion of this
substantive session.
Allow me also, on your behalf, to
extend my sincere gratitude to Mr. Jin Yongjian, Under-Secretary-General for
Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, which is
responsible for servicing the UNDC; Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Under-Secretary-General
for Disarmament Affairs, which will provide substantive support to the session
of the Commission; and Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Secretary-General of the
Conference on Disarmament. The presence
of these globally renowned and respected
diplomats among us once again underline the importance of the UNDC in general
and the high expectation of member-states from this session in particular.
I should not fail to thank our
distinguished secretary, Mr. Timor Alasanya and his able colleagues in the
secretariat for their tireless efforts in ensuring smooth and constructive
operation of the Commission.
.
The United Nations Disarmament Commission, since its inception in 1978 following the SSOD I, has provided a universal forum for in depth consideration of issues, and offered invaluable recommendations in the field of disarmament. Today, the Commission, especially after its organizational reforms, could better serve the process of disarmament and help build on the achievements. It shoulders an onerous responsibility. As the universal deliberative disarmament setting, the Commission has a unique position to provide for broader participation and consensus building. Furthermore, being a deliberative body, it is not bound by the limits of disarmament negotiations. It can thus mainline new and innovative ideas into the disarmament diplomacy and stimulate a reinvigorated international debate on disarmament and security agenda. The Commission is therefore in a position to inspire a constructive change in the existing international security paradigm, which is still haunted by balance of terror and exclusive security arrangements.
Adding to the significance of the
Commission’s deliberations, in particular this year, is the fact that the
Conference on Disarmament has not been able to adopt its program of work for
three years in a row and all the submissions to break the deadlock have proved
unavailing. I hope that the final agreements of NPT 2000 Review Conference and
a successful UNDC session could break the ice and encourage the CD members to
nail down a balanced program of work.
Our agenda this year is in and of
itself testament to the opportunities and formidable challenges before this
Commission:
The ICJ advisory opinion on the
legality of use and threat of use of nuclear weapons was a turning point in
international campaign against nuclear arms; a campaign which started from the
very first sessions of the General Assembly and subsequently reinforced by
article VI of NPT as well as the declaration on Principles and Objectives of
the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. The Court’s advisory opinion, in
fact, charted a new course for nuclear disarmament in the aftermath of the Cold
War, underlining the legal obligation to proceed in good faith towards a world
free from nuclear weapons. The declaration by President Mohammed Bedjaoui of
the ICJ -- calling nuclear weapons as “the ultimate evil” for their
indiscriminate effects on humanity and natural environment -- put this legal
obligation in proper moral perspective.
A more recent achievement has been
the successful conclusion of the NPT 2000 Review Conference with consensus on
key issues. The Conference succeeded to agree on a range of guidelines and
required steps to rid humanity of nuclear nightmare, which should be pursued
vigorously through various unilateral, bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral
initiatives. It illustrated once again that the NPT had never meant to
perpetuate classification of states as nuclear and non-nuclear ones; and that
the obligation to create a nuclear-weapon free world has always been a fundamental underpinning of
the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime.
The statement by some nuclear weapons
states that they will cease production of fissile material and will place their
withdrawn fissile material from military stockpiles under the IAEA supervision
can be regarded as a starting point that needs to be followed by further
measures, such as de-alerting of nuclear weapons, abandoning first use
doctrines, deeper reductions, and elimination of all tactical nuclear weapons.
As for bilateral undertakings, the
welcome ratification of START II by the Russian Federation Duma should be
further augmented by bilateral negotiations between the
Moreover, some coordination and
cooperation on nuclear disarmament has been instigated among the five nuclear
weapon states. Though for the time being it is largely restricted to
coordination of positions on nuclear disarmament negotiations, the arrangement
has the potential to eventually evolve into a forum for serious negotiations
and consensus building on concrete collective nuclear reduction measures.
On the multilateral domain, the
Conference on Disarmament remains the sole negotiating body, with nuclear disarmament atop its agenda. It
should, therefore, be allowed to make a substantive and meaningful contribution
to nuclear disarmament. The involvement of the CD might be perceived, at the
first glance, not to satisfy the short-term interests of some nuclear states.
But, its engagement in these negotiations would certainly promote confidence
and in turn pave the way for a general and comprehensive disarmament.
Meanwhile, it is high time for the Conference to commence negotiations on a long
sought fissile material cut-off treaty.
Acknowledging the imperative of
averting nuclear threats, the UN Secretary General in his Millennium Report has
suggested the convening of an international conference on the subject matter.
This submission merits serious and positive consideration, especially by this
Commission.
The establishment of nuclear-weapons
free zones inches us closer to the lofty objective of a world from nuclear
weapons. These frameworks are already in
existence in some parts of the globe. At the same time, the creation of similar
zones in other regions, in particular in the
This is merely an in-exhaustive list
of areas of actions. I sincerely hope that our deliberations at this session
would lead to articulation and facilitate adoption of innovative approaches for
attainment of nuclear disarmament.
As
for our second item, the General Assembly has for the last several years called
for transparency in armament and confidence building. Numerous regional
initiatives, in particular in
Moreover, given the enormity of human
toll and suffering, confidence building in the increasingly important area of
small arms has received a sharpened focus. And a host of propositions on the
problem of illicit trafficking in small arms, including the holding of a UN
conference on this matter in 2001,have been advanced. It is heartening to note
that the preparatory work for the Conference has started. On our part, we
should also provide substantive input for the Conference.
A Time for Change
While we address important areas of
disarmament at this forum, it is imperative that the international community
take a renewed look at the dominant approach to international relations and
articulate a new global security paradigm. For centuries, concepts such as
enemies, security dilemma, arms race, deterrence, and balance of power
dominated much of the discourse in international politics and played a
determining role in shaping of the relations among nations.
Bloc rivalries and exclusive security
arrangements, feeding fear and arms race, have all been products of a global
security paradigm, which was based on exclusion: Not only exclusion of some
state actors from global security arrangements, but at the same time exclusion
of non-state actors and the civil society from the global debate and decision
making on security.
Security perceptions and disarmament
are very much mutually reinforcing. Thus, the future course of disarmament norm
setting will hinge above all on the evolution of international security. The
ending of the Cold War has given boost to some areas of disarmament. But, its
continuity requires forging an encompassing international security arrangement,
which would promise security to all nations worldwide. I have elaborated on
this imperative prerequisite at the Conference on Disarmament more than a year
ago and submitted the concept of Global Security Networking that
attempts to go beyond the narrowly defined interests of existing alliances. Evolution
of security systems and their transformation into a global security network
would induce states to take further steps in ensuring sustained progress in
arms control and disarmament.
Taking the very first steps into the
new millennium, we stand at a defining moment in the history of mankind. A mix
of opportunities and challenges lies ahead. Much has changed. But, much more
remains to be changed. Suggestions are made to the effect that security issues
need no longer be seen in black and white or as a zero sum scenarios; that the
advantages of cooperation and partnership could certainly far exceed the
possible gains of armament and rivalry. And, that today the prospects for arms
control and disarmament in all fields are brighter.
However, the worst is still far from
over. We are steering through a defining transitional and yet formative stage.
Things could conceivably go wrong and unravel the positive achievements reaped
so far. Insistence on military
applications of information and space technologies with its sobering
ramifications, and half-hearted commitment to and selective implementation of
the existing disarmament agreements might trigger a snowball effect, resulting
in erosion of credibility of disarmament treaties and commencement of a fresh round
of arms race.
History may be rewritten, but it can
never be relived. The time has come to invest in the future, and confidence
building is the key for such an investment. We are offered the greatest
opportunity of all times. It is our chance and we have to make much of it. The
time has come to stamp out once and for all the fallacy that improved
armaments, in particular nuclear ones, bring security. Progressive and
systematic pursuit of disarmament negotiations and the urgency to accelerate
nuclear disarmament are the challenges to be met. These and other challenges,
along with complexities, setbacks and surprises would assert themselves against
our hopes and wishes.
Political will and commitment as well
as involvement of the civil society are the key factors in winning this uphill
battle. The civil society is an increasingly active participant in disarmament diplomacy. To secure the
achievements and to further advance disarmament, it is imperative to welcome and
enhance the involvement of civil society at both national and international
levels. The participation of NGOs, institutions and individuals in NPT 2000
Review Conference was an enriching experience. I hope that this process would
be further institutionalized, providing for their participation in all
disarmament fora including the CD.
In our collective effort to build an
inclusive global environment, it is absolutely imperative to engage in an inclusive
dialogue, drawing upon the rich and diversified contribution of all actors
-- states, civil society, international organizations, academia and all other
segments of humanity -- who stand to
loose from the perils of war and armaments and have much to contribute to their
elimination.