European Union

Statement on WMD Free Zone in the Middle East

Conference on Disarmament

Geneva, 23 May 2024

Mr. President, 

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

The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova[1] and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

The 2016 European Union Global Strategy for the Union's Foreign and Security Policy as well as the 2003 European Union Strategy against the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) are founded on the conviction that a multilateral approach to security, including disarmament and non-proliferation, provides the best way to maintain international peace and security.

The EU and its Member States remain united in their unequivocal support to uphold and strengthen the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament in accordance with Article VI and an important element in the development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes. We reiterate the EU’s strong, resolute and continuous support for all three pillars of the NPT and will continue to promote comprehensive, balanced and substantive full implementation of the 2010 Review Conference Action Plan.

The EU acknowledges the critical importance of existing nuclear weapon free zones for peace and security and remains committed to the implementation of the Resolution on Middle East adopted at the 1995 NPT Review Conference. We encourage nuclear-weapon States to sign and ratify the relevant protocols of the treaties establishing nuclear weapon free zones drawn up following the requisite consultations. We also call on those States in existing nuclear weapon free zones that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the relevant nuclear weapon free zone treaties. The EU recognizes that negative security assurances strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and calls on all nuclear weapon States to reaffirm existing security assurances noted by relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSC Resolution 984 (1995), and recalled in UNSC Resolution 1887 (2009) and 2310 (2016).

Mr. President,

Furthermore, the EU has been a long-time supporter of peace and security in the Middle East and in favour of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East. This position remains unchanged. WMD’s existing and potential proliferation in the Middle East remains a significant concern for the EU. Establishing a Middle East WMD free zone is a crucial step and tool towards promoting regional stability, peace, and security. The establishment of a WMD free zone will strengthen key international treaties such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).

In that vein, we continue to call on all States in the region, which have not yet done so, to accede to and abide by the NPT, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, and to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We call on all States to bring into force Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocols and, as applicable, to rescind or modify the Small Quantities Protocol. Universal subscription to The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation would also contribute to regional confidence building, which is necessary for progress towards a Middle East WMD free zone.  

The EU recalls its commitment to the 2010 NPT Review Conference Action Plan, and to the fact that such zones can only be established on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at between all States of the region concerned. We strongly encourage all stakeholders, and especially the States of the region, to engage in meaningful consultations in order to build an inclusive and consensus-based process towards the implementation of the 1995 NPT Resolution.  

The EU reaffirms its readiness to assist in the process and help produce an atmosphere conducive to the establishment of such a zone, as it has done in the past by facilitating dialogue among States of the region. In this regard, the EU provides significant funding to a project by the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), most recently through the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1306 of 26 June 2023 with financial support of 2.1 million Euros. The project supports a process of confidence-building initiatives within the region, facilitating progress towards the establishment of an effective, verifiable, inclusive, and sustainable Middle East WMD free zone.  

The establishment of such a zone is not only a matter of regional security but also a crucial step towards global peace and stability. It would alleviate tensions, build trust among neighbouring states, and contribute to the broader goals of disarmament and arms control.

I thank you, Mr. President.

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.