EU Statement – UN General Assembly: International Day against Nuclear Tests
- Check against delivery –
President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Albania*, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, as well as Georgia, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
President,
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty’s (CTBT) entry into force has always been and remains a top priority for the European Union. This High-level meeting provides an opportunity to highlight again the need for the Treaty’s universalisation and entry into force. All EU Member States have ratified the Treaty and consistently call upon the remaining eight Annex 2 States: China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and the USA who still need to ratify the Treaty and the DPRK, India and Pakistan who still need to sign and ratify it in order to bring it into force, to do so without any preconditions or further delay. Pending the entry into force of the Treaty, the EU calls on all States to abide by the moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions, and to refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty.
The EU warmly welcomes the recent ratifications of the Treaty by Tuvalu, The Gambia, Dominica and Timor-Leste, which constitute yet another step towards the CTBT’s universalisation. We commend the Executive Secretary, Dr Robert Floyd and his team for this impressive record and fully support their efforts for achieving additional ratifications of the Treaty. We also encourage engagement with civil society to promote the CTBT, and in this context, we commend the work of the CTBTO Youth Group.
The CTBT is one of the key pillars of the international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture contributing to global peace and security. The Treaty’s strong legitimacy and vital importance for our collective security is pointed out in UN Security Council Resolution 2310 and the annual UN General Assembly resolutions relating to the CTBT. The EU will continue to rally support for the CTBT and the CTBTO in all relevant multilateral fora. On the occasion of the 10th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) the EU submitted a comprehensive Working Paper on the CTBT, with concrete proposals for the 10th NPT Review Conference. Moreover, on the margins of the NPT Review Conference, the EU organised a high-level panel discussion on the essential role of the CTBT in the context of the NPT, and within the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, with the participation of the Executive Secretary and the EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
We regret that despite intensive efforts and negotiations, due to one country´s objection, it has not been possible to achieve consensus on a final outcome document at the 10th Review Conference of the NPT, which would have also reaffirmed the importance of the entry into force of the CTBT at the earliest possible date, recalling the responsibility of all States that have ratified the Treaty to promote the CTBT. Nevertheless, legally binding obligations enshrined in the NPT and commitments from the past Review Conferences will remain valid. The EU and its Member States will spare no effort to continue to promote the full and effective implementation of the NPT as well as its universalisation and we call upon all States Parties to do the same. The NPT’s continued integrity is more important than ever in view of the current security environment. We continue to strongly condemn the unprovoked and unjustified aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which undermines the rules-based international system and our collective security. The EU reiterates its call on Russia to end its aggression immediately and withdraw its troops from the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine.
President,
The EU urges the DPRK to cease its unlawful and destabilising actions and its escalatory behaviour that undermine regional and international and regional peace and security, as well as the global non-proliferation regime, and instead engage in dialogue with relevant partners to build a basis for sustainable peace and security and to take steps aimed at pursuing complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK must comply with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions to refrain from testing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon State in accordance with the NPT. We urge the DPRK to abandon its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes as well as programmes to build delivery systems and other weapons of mass destruction in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner as required by relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
We also urge the DPRK to return to compliance with the NPT and the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement including by signing and ratifying the Additional Protocol - and signing and ratifying the CTBT. It is critical that sanctions, which target the DPRK’s unlawful weapons development, remain in place and are fully implemented while its programmes exist. The EU recalls the obligation of all UN Member States to fully implement all existing UN Security Council resolutions and all relevant non-proliferation and disarmament obligations and commitments.
Following the DPRK's nuclear tests the CTBTO demonstrated its invaluable role in quickly providing reliable and independent data, enabling the international community to respond appropriately and swiftly. The CTBTO has provided the world with a truly global, hi-tech monitoring system for nuclear explosions – something that no single country could do.
The EU reiterates its confidence in the CTBT's verification regime and looks forward to the completion of the International Monitoring System (IMS). We recognise the deterrence effect against non-compliance with the Treaty and the ability to respond to threats to international peace and security that it provides. The EU and its Member States commend the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and the States Signatories for their demonstrated commitment to keeping the verification regime working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We urge all States Signatories that still have to establish stations to co-operate with the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) to that effect and relevant States Signatories to assist in this process. With IMS construction ongoing for over 20 years, there is no excuse for further delay in certifying and operating all stations.
In addition to the CTBT’s obvious contribution to international peace and security, the CTBTO's Integrated Capacity Building assists States in using IMS data for civil and scientific applications and research associated with Treaty-related verification technologies, including tsunami and volcanic ash cloud warning. To make best use of our collective investment, the EU advocates fully exploiting potential benefits of civil and scientific applications of IMS data and financially supports capacity building for developing countries in this regard. Since 2006, the EU has provided the CTBTO with voluntary contributions of more than 29.5 million Euro to fund a variety of technical projects to strengthen the verification regime and build capacity in developing countries
As a further sign of our commitment, the EU has become a supporter of 10 actions on the UN Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament, including on promoting the entry into force of the CTBT. EU Members States have consecutively assumed responsibility as co-coordinators for the biennial conference - last year chaired by Italy together with South Africa - to promote the entry into force of the CTBT, pursuant to Article XIV of the Treaty. We will continue to use every opportunity to call for the CTBT’s prompt entry into force and universalization in all relevant international fora and to actively and persistently advocate for the signing and ratification of the CTBT in meetings with the countries that have not yet signed or ratified the Treaty, notably the Annex 2 states.
I thank you, President.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.