Statement on Nuclear Risk Reduction (Panel Discussion) at the Conference on Disarmament Geneva, 23 March 2023
European Union
Statement on
Nuclear Risk Reduction
Panel Discussion
Conference on Disarmament
Geneva, 23 March 2023
Madam President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The candidate countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina *, and the potential candidate country Georgia, align themselves with this statement.
We would like to congratulate you on the assumption of the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament and wish you every success. Rest assured of the EU’s full support. We appreciate your choice for thematic debate today, which is of utmost importance in the current geopolitical context with high tensions and risks. We thank all panellists for their interesting and thought-provoking presentations.
Madam President,
The preamble of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) opens by considering the devastation that would be visited upon all mankind by a nuclear war and the consequent need to make every effort to avert the danger of such a war and to take measures to safeguard the security of peoples. The EU unequivocally supports the NPT as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament in accordance with Article VI of the Treaty and an important element in the development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes in accordance with Article IV of the NPT.
We witness a worrying trend of some States moving away from multilateral measures, rules and principles. 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 claimed suspension of 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 EU strongly condemns threats by president Putin to use nuclear force in the war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and blackmail is unacceptable. Its violations of its international obligations and commitments have devastating consequences for international peace and security, as well as for the nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control architecture. We call upon Russia to urgently pursue de-escalation. 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.
Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and a deteriorating international security environment, which faces increasing proliferation crises and challenges, there is broadening concern about increased risks. The EU notes the very severe consequences associated with nuclear weapons use. The EU emphasises that all States share the responsibility to prevent such an occurrence from happening. States should recognize, as a matter of priority, the need for concrete and effective measures to reduce strategic and nuclear risks.
Furthermore, we remain gravely concerned about the situation around Ukrainian nuclear sites and the illegal seizure by Russian forces of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which we will never recognise. This has compromised each of the “seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security in an armed conflict”, advanced by the IAEA Director General last year. We strongly call on Russia to withdraw its military equipment and all personnel, from the ZNPP and return its full control to its rightful owner, Ukraine.
This situation re-emphasises the necessity of avoiding a new arms race that would offset the significant reductions of nuclear arsenals achieved after the end of the Cold War. We encourage initiatives that can contribute to dialogue, confidence-building, transparency, verification activities, reporting and risk reduction, including the broad range of nuclear and strategic risk reduction measures, which are urgently required in the current context.
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 agreements 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.
Madame President,
Risk reduction measures are not a replacement for concrete measures on nuclear disarmament. EU Member States remain committed to the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, in accordance with Article VI of the NPT. We stress the need for concrete progress towards the full implementation of Article VI, especially through the overall reduction in the global stockpile of nuclear weapons, taking into account the special responsibility of the States that possess the largest nuclear arsenals. Strategic and nuclear risk reduction measures should be considered as a pathway to increase confidence within the international security environment and an important contribution to facilitate progress in nuclear disarmament moving towards a world without nuclear weapons, in accordance with Article VI of the NPT. A comprehensive approach to nuclear and strategic risk reduction is necessary since all States have a shared interest in risk reduction. As such, risk reduction measures should encompass unilateral, bilateral and multilateral risk reduction measures amongst NWS as well as regional-based and multilateral approaches including NNWS. The only way to fully eliminate risk is to comply with the NPT provisions in their entirety.
In this regard, the EU strongly supports all three pillars of the NPT and will continue to promote comprehensive, balanced and substantive full implementation of the 2010 Review Conference Action Plan. We stress the need to implement all obligations under the NPT, and commitments made during previous Review Conferences, including the need for concrete progress towards the full implementation of Article VI, with the ultimate goal of achieving the total elimination of nuclear weapons. We are resolved to seek a safer and more secure world for all in accordance with the goals of the Treaty in a way that promotes international stability, peace and security. We welcome the various contributions on risk reduction, including from the Stockholm Initiative and others.
Several strategic and nuclear risk reduction measures have been agreed in the NPT context, most notably in Action 5 of the 2010 NPT Action Plan and a broad range of further measures have been proposed in several initiatives. Given the heightened risks, the EU encourages further work towards the elaboration of practical strategic and nuclear risk reduction measures, which can contribute to alleviating tensions and building the necessary trust and confidence, such as transparency and dialogue on nuclear doctrines and policies, military-to-military dialogues, hotline agreements among nuclear weapon possessors, “accident measure” agreements, and notification exercises, as well as missile launch notification and other data exchange agreements. All States, in particular nuclear weapon States and other States possessing nuclear weapons, should engage in such efforts, by elaborating inter alia on measures to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, whether intentional, accidental, by miscalculation, misperception or unauthorized use.
The current complex security environment, increased tensions and continued proliferation crises, underscores the need to preserve, implement and further strengthen disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control instruments, which contribute to international peace and security. Upholding the rules-based international order, including the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture, 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.
Real progress towards our shared goal of a world free of nuclear weapons is required.
I thank you, Madam President
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.