European Union Statement at the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament
European Union
Statement at the High-Level Segment of
the Conference on Disarmament
by EU Special Envoy for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Marjolijn van Deelen
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina[1], the potential candidate country Georgia and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.
Let me start by congratulating you on your presidency of the Conference on Disarmament and wish you every success in your endeavours. Rest assured of the EU’s full support.
It is, indeed, a privilege to address this Conference. We are gathering here at a very dark moment as we mark one year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – one of the greatest challenges to international peace and security, which affect people in all corners of the world, with particularly dramatic effects on most vulnerable.
Today, upholding the rules-based international order is more important than ever. The EU will continue to support effective multilateralism, with the UN at its core, in order to ensure a safer, more stable and sustainable world. This is the only way to address global challenges and deliver results on issues important to our citizens.
However, we witness a worrying trend of some States moving away from multilateral measures, rules and principles when it comes to national security. The EU attaches great importance to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control instruments which contribute to peace, security and stability. The current complex security environment, which is marked by the Russian war of aggression, increased tensions and continued proliferation crises, underscores the need to preserve, implement and further strengthen these instruments. The EU will continue to robustly counter any backtracking from agreed commitments and obligations.
The reduction of deployed strategic nuclear arsenals under the New START Treaty, enhanced notably by its robust verification mechanism, contributes to international and European security and to the implementation of Article VI of the NPT. The EU welcomed the agreement reached in 2021 between the United States and the Russian Federation to extend the New START Treaty for an additional five years. The EU is deeply concerned about the current developments, notably Russia’s announcement on suspending its participation in the New START Treaty after it has failed to comply with legally-binding obligations under the Treaty. We deplore the announcement and call on Russia to immediately return to compliance with the New START Treaty and fulfil all its obligations, including by facilitating New START inspections on Russian territory, and by returning to participation in the Treaty’s implementation body, the Bilateral Consultative Commission.
The maintenance and full implementation of existing arms control arrangements is of paramount importance for the entire international community and we call on Russia to re-engage in good faith in these efforts. Recalling the obligations for all nuclear weapon States arising from Art. VI of the NPT, we underline that the two nuclear weapon States with the largest arsenals hold a special responsibility in the area of nuclear disarmament and arms control. The EU strongly encourages seeking further reductions to their arsenals including strategic and non-strategic, deployed and non-deployed nuclear weapons and to pursue further discussions on confidence-building, transparency, risk reduction and verification, laying the ground for even more robust and ambitious future arms control agreements and reporting. In this regard, the EU welcomes the increased transparency shown by some nuclear-weapon states on their doctrines and the nuclear weapons they possess and calls on others to do likewise.
Furthermore, we call upon Russia to urgently pursue de-escalation and we reaffirm that Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable. We recall the “Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Race” of January 3, 2022 and call upon Russia to respect the commitments contained therein.
The EU reiterates its support for intensified dialogue, including on strategic stability, increased transparency and confidence building measures by the nuclear weapon States to promote further progress in disarmament. Given the rapid and extensive build-up of China’s nuclear arsenal, we call on China to join future arms control agreement and to respond positively to calls for an arms control dialogue as a first step. We urge China to immediately take measures to improve the transparency of its nuclear weapons, to refrain from further build-up, which is not in line with its commitments under the NPT, and pursue new risk reduction measures. Pending a future agreement on a Treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other explosive devices (FMCT), the EU calls on China to declare and uphold an immediate moratorium on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
Mr. President,
The Conference on Disarmament (CD) has played an important role over the years in constructing the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture in order to make the world safer. Many of successful and ambitious disarmament agreements in the past were born here. However, the CD finds itself at a crossroad on how to overcome its long standing impasse in order to regain its credibility and maintain its relevance as a single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. The CD, as one of the key components of the international disarmament machinery, requires reinvigoration. This endeavour needs to look at its working methods and procedures. Distorting the rule of consensus to hamper the work of the CD does not create a conducive environment and cannot increase trust among States.
While the EU and its Member States are ready to launch substantive work on all core items, our longstanding priority in the CD is to immediately commence negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other explosive devices (FMCT) and we support starting such negotiations in accordance with document CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein. We call on all States to contribute to facilitating the long-overdue negotiations on a FMCT. In the meantime, we call on all States concerned that have not yet done so to declare and uphold an immediate moratorium on their production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
Furthermore, promoting universal adherence to and the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a top priority for the EU. All EU Member States have ratified the CTBT and are abiding by its obligations. We urge all States that have not yet done so, in particular those listed in Annex II, to sign and ratify the CTBT without any preconditions or further delay. In this vein, the EU strongly condemns Russia’s reckless rhetoric and threats of resuming nuclear tests. This is irresponsible and unacceptable behaviour. We recall that Russia has ratified the CTBT and declared a moratorium on nuclear tests and we call on Russia to abide by its commitments.
Moreover, the EU supports the enlargement of the CD, which currently comprises only 65 members. We strongly oppose raising objections to requests of UN Member States to participate in the work of the Conference on Disarmament. We reject Russia’s politically motivated approach to block the participation of UN Member States, international organisations and non-governmental organisations in international fora and processes.
Mr. President,
This Conference should be negotiating issues of utmost importance for the entire international community. However, Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and blackmail, its violations of its international obligations and commitments, including the 1994 Budapest Memorandum have devastating consequences for international peace and security, as well as global disarmament efforts, including the CD.
The EU reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression with Belarus’ complicity against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter. Our support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian war of aggression remains unwavering. We will stand by Ukraine with steadfast support for as long as it takes.
The crimes and atrocities committed in Ukraine cannot go unpunished. The EU supports Ukrainian and international efforts to ensure accountability for the violations of international law and war crimes. Those responsible for these war crimes, including crime of aggression and their accomplices, will be held to account in accordance with international law.
We strongly urge for peace for Ukraine. International relations must not be based on the use or threat of use of force. Russia must stop this atrocious war and immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its troops and equipment from all of the territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. This war is a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the international peace and security and to the rules-based international order.
Thank you, Mr. President
[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.