Conference on Disarmament - EU Statement - Statement on New types of weapons of mass destruction, Transparency in Armaments

European Union

Statement on New types of weapons of mass destruction, 

Transparency in Armaments

Conference on Disarmament

Geneva, 11 August, 2026

Mr President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The EU appreciates this opportunity to continue discussions on disarmament and international security and commend your efforts to facilitate this debate.

Our collective focus must be on ensuring that the multilateral framework remains fit for purpose amidst rapid scientific and technological developments. Rather than duplicating existing instruments, we should uphold and strengthen the architecture that has served the international community for decades.

To this end, we wish to reiterate that the EU remains firmly committed to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention and to preventing the proliferation or use of chemical and biological weapons in any form, anywhere and by anyone.

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) constitute an extensive international legal framework providing comprehensive, legally binding prohibitions and mechanisms to address chemical weapons threats. There is no gap requiring new legal instruments. 

Concerning the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), our efforts are  focused on strengthening the implementation of this important prohibition norm, enhancing international cooperation, confidence-building and transparency, improving preparedness and ensuring full compliance with existing treaties obligations. The EU welcomes the advancements achieved within the Working Group on the Strengthening of the BWC and remains actively engaged in ensuring the successful conclusion of the negotiations by December of this year.

At the same time, recent developments and challenges underline the importance of defending the strong global norms against these weapons. Any use of chemical orbiological weapons by anyone, anywhere, at any time and under any circumstances is unacceptable.

In this regard, we express our strong concern over Russia's established record of breaches of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), including the use of a Novichok nerve agent against Alexey Navalny in 2020. Furthermore, the Governments of the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands have conclusively confirmed based on analyses of samples from Mr Navalny’s remains, that he was poisoned with the lethal toxin epibatidine, while held in prison, and that this poisoning was highly likely the cause of his death. This toxin can be synthesized but does not occur naturally in Russia. Only Russia had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to administer this poison to Mr. Navalny during his imprisonment. Navalny’s death does not relieve the Russian Federation of its obligation to provide answers. We urge Russia to engage constructively and to address the legitimate international concerns under the Convention. Impunity for the use of chemical weapons must not and will not be tolerated.

Mr President,

Transparency and confidence-building remain indispensable elements of effective disarmament and international security. Transparency is a practical tool that contributes to reducing misunderstandings, preventing misperception and miscalculation and building the trust necessary for meaningful cooperation among States. Equally essential is the faithful implementation of existing international commitments. Attempts to undermine established treaty regimes or divert attention from compliance do not enhance security and they weaken, the foundations of collective security. In this context, the Conference on Disarmament has an important role to play in promoting dialogue on emerging challenges while preserving the integrity and credibility of the existing international legal architecture.

Artificial intelligence is one such emerging challenge. The EU recognises that AI presents both important opportunities and significant challenges not only in the military domain. As we have consistently underlined, the application of AI in the military domain must be fully consistent with international law, in particular the UN Charter, International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. Human judgment and human control over the use of force must always be maintained at all times. Human beings must remain responsible and accountable for decisions, including when AI systems are involved, to ensure that this technology is developed and employed in a responsible and lawful manner.

AI can enhance military operations through increased speed, scale, and precision. It can enhance situational awareness and support decision-making through the   processing of vast datasets - whether from surveillance systems, drones, or satellite imagery. AI-driven logistics and predictive maintenance can improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. It can provide greater distance military operations and allow for more precision in uncertain environments.

At the same time, these capabilities may increase the risks of miscalculation, misperception, and unintended escalation. Appropriate safeguards, transparency,rigorous testing and robust governance are therefore essential to ensure their responsible development and use.

The EU welcomes continued international engagement on this issue, including within the United Nations, the Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) process, and other complementary initiatives. These efforts are mutually reinforcing and play an important role in developing common understandings, strengthening transparency and confidence building and advancing responsible approaches to the military application of AI.

Mr President,

Scientific and technological progress should reinforce - not weaken - our collective security,commitment to effective multilateralism, greater transparency, accountability and the full respect for international law.

The EU remains committed to working with all partners to ensure that advances in science and technology are addressed through effective multilateralism and that the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture remains robust, responsive and fit for purpose in safeguarding international peace, security and stability.

I thank you.