EU Statement – United Nations 1st Committee: Thematic Discussion on Regional Disarmament and Security
Mr. Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro* and Albania*, as well as the Republic of Moldova, align themselves with this statement.
The war in Syria has entered its eighth year of continuous and widespread violence with persistent and brutal violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law, and the repeated use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime and by Da’esh. We must all remember that the Syrian regime bears the overwhelming responsibility for the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the suffering of the Syrian people.
The EU reiterates that there can be no military solution to the Syrian conflict. Only a political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 can bring peace to Syria and its people.
We condemn, in the strongest terms, all attacks, both intentional and indiscriminate, against civilian populations, and civilian infrastructure, hospitals and schools, which contravene International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We underline that IHL is applicable and binding to the use of all weapons. The use of barrel bombs, cluster bombs and incendiary weapons in Syria may amount to war crimes.
We reiterate our strongest condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Armed Forces in at least four cases, as confirmed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)/UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), and by Da’esh in at least two cases. We also condemn all other cases of chemical weapons use reported by the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM).
We are deeply concerned by reports pointing to the continued use of chemical weapons in different locations in Syria in recent months, including the devastating chemical attack on Douma, which is under investigation.
The EU fully supports the work of the OPCW's Fact Finding Mission to continue investigating reports of chemical weapons use and of the Declaration Assessment Team to continue its work on the gaps and discrepancies of the Syrian declarations until it is satisfied that Syria's chemical weapons programme is fully declared and irreversibly dismantled.
The use of chemical weapons is unacceptable and violates international law and norms. There can be no impunity and those responsible must be held accountable. In this context, we deeply regret the Russian vetoes preventing the renewal of the mandate of the JIM, established by UN Security Council Resolution 2235. We support the recent decision of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to enhance the OPCW’s capacity to identify the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in Syria and to develop universal attribution arrangements. Furthermore, the EU welcomes the efforts conducted within the framework of the Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons which is a cross-regional initiative with a universal scope.
Most recently in July 2017 and in March 2018, the EU imposed additional restrictive measures against Syrian high-level officials and scientists for their role in the development and use of chemical weapons. On 15 October 2018, EU Foreign Ministers adopted a new regime of restrictive measures to address the use and proliferation of chemical weapons.
The EU is concerned by the fact that Syria remains non-compliant also with its Safeguards Agreement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The EU deplores Syria’s lack of commitment to resolve all outstanding issues in full cooperation with the IAEA and calls on Syria to sign and ratify the Additional Protocol to its NPT Safeguards Agreement without delay.
The EU welcomes the ongoing diplomatic efforts with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that have contributed to easing tensions. The EU urges the DPRK to seize this historic opportunity and engage seriously in the follow-on negotiations with a view to achieving lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. It is essential that the DPRK embarks on a credible path towards a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation and the abandonment of its other weapons of mass destruction programmes. Until the DPRK does take concrete steps towards denuclearisation, we will continue to strictly enforce existing sanctions and call upon all States to do the same. We call upon the DPRK to maintain its declared suspension of testing of nuclear weapons and of ballistic missile launches and to comply with its obligations under multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, including returning to compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to IAEA Safeguards at an early date and to signing and ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) without delay.
We recall that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiated with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme, is a key element of the global non-proliferation architecture and a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy, endorsed by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2231. In this context, the EU deeply regrets the withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA. As confirmed by twelve consecutive reports issued by the IAEA and most recently in its report of 30 August 2018, Iran has continued to implement its nuclear related commitments, and it must continue to do so. Alongside implementation by Iran of its nuclear related commitments, the lifting of sanctions constitutes an essential part of the JCPOA. Work is underway towards a legal entity to allow European companies to continue their legitimate trade with Iran in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2231. We call upon Iran to play a constructive role in the region and not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology, which are inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and cease arms transfers, which are prohibited under UN Security Council Resolutions, including 2216.
The proliferation of ballistic missiles, especially those capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, is a destabilising factor in many regions. The EU is particularly concerned about the pursuit of ballistic missiles not only by the DPRK and Iran, but also Syria. The subscription of all States to the Hague Code of Conduct would build confidence, encourage restraint and create more stability and security for all.
The EU reaffirms its full support for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East. We consider the 1995 NPT Resolution valid until its goals and objectives are achieved and strongly support the outcome of the 2010 NPT Review Conference on the Middle East. We deeply regret that it has not been possible so far to convene a Conference on the establishment of such a zone, as outlined in the 2010 NPT Review Conference Action Plan. We maintain the view that dialogue and building confidence among all stakeholders is the only sustainable way towards a meaningful conference to be attended by all States of the Middle East on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at by them. The EU calls on all States in the region to urgently and proactively engage with the Co-Conveners and each other with the aim of enabling the Conference to be convened as soon as possible, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at between all States of the region. The EU has continuously expressed its readiness to assist in the process and organised a seminar in 2011 and in 2012 as well as a capacity-building workshop in 2014 to help produce a conducive atmosphere and move the process forward. We continue to call on all States in the region, which have not yet done so, to join the NPT, the CTBT, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. This would be an important confidence- and security-building measure and could constitute tangible steps towards the establishment of a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East.
The EU recognises the legitimate interest of non-nuclear weapon States in receiving unequivocal security assurances from nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons as part of binding and agreed security arrangements. The EU calls on all nuclear weapon States to reaffirm existing security assurances, noted by relevant UNSC resolutions. The EU recognises that treaty-based security assurances are available to nuclear weapon free zones and encourages nuclear weapon States to sign and ratify the relevant protocols to 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 NWFZ treaties.
Mr. Chairman,
The European security order is based on the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of States, the inviolability of borders, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the free choice of countries in deciding their own future. Unfortunately these long-standing key principles of European security have not been respected by all.
The EU recalls that Russia has specifically committed to refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Ukraine under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 on security assurances, in connection with Ukraine's accession to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon State. We call upon Russia to honour and fulfil this commitment.
The EU's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders is unwavering. We continue to condemn and will not recognise the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution of 27 March 2014 and our fundamental principles. In the absence of progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements, EU leaders in June 2018 agreed to extend economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy. Moreover, our visa ban list has been expanded. We remain deeply concerned over the continued fighting and loss of life in eastern Ukraine and about information on the presence of military equipment and personnel from Russia in separatist-held areas. We call on all sides to swiftly implement the Minsk agreements and respect their commitments in full in order to achieve a sustainable political solution. We continue to expect the Russian Federation to fully assume its responsibility in this regard and to use its considerable influence over the separatists it backs to meet the Minsk commitments in full.
We encourage all UN Member States to work actively for the resolution of the problems of regional instability and insecurity and of the conflict situations which are often at the root of armament programmes. The EU strongly supports the establishment of regional and sub-regional Confidence and Security Building Measures as an important tool to build trust, enhance transparency and military predictability, avoid conflict and maintain stability, especially in situations of armed confrontation and areas of tension, thereby promoting peace and security.
European countries have highly benefited from the Conventional Arms Control and Confidence and Security Building Measures within the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in particular the commitments in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, the Vienna Document 2011, the Treaty on Open Skies, the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition and the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security. We underline the importance of fully implementing these commitments.
The EU supports OSCE activities on UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and chemical safety and security in Ukraine as well as against illicit trafficking and excessive accumulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and stockpiles of conventional ammunition in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Georgia, building on the successful implementation of the EU-funded SALW control activities in Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. They will increase the physical security of SALW and ammunition stockpiles, provide training, and assist in the disposal of surplus ammunition. They also contribute to counter-terrorism efforts by enabling OSCE to address one of the sources of supply to terrorist networks.
In the Western Balkans, the EU furthermore supports the capacity building efforts of the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) which operates under the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC). Furthermore, the EU supports the Franco-German initiative for comprehensive SALW control in the Western Balkans, and in particular reaching the goals outlined in the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2024 that was adopted by all Western Balkan partners at the London summit in July 2018.
The diversion, illicit trade and unauthorised use of SALW constitute serious impediments for peace, security, stability and development in many countries. Over the past 15 years, the EU has provided significant support to African-led efforts in the area of peace and security, including the African Union ambition to “silence the guns by 2020”. The SALW related activities are based on a regional approach and implemented in close partnership with the African Union, its Member States and other relevant organisations, notably the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament (UNREC). Our assistance has helped to improve physical security and stockpile management in existing conventional arms and ammunition depots in the Sahel region, and collect and destroy arms and ammunition across West Africa. The EU is also working with the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to prevent and counter illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms in different parts of the world. We are looking forward to partnering with the League of Arab States in the area of arms control and illicit trafficking of conventional arms.
The EU has a long history of support for actions that address the threat posed by mines and explosive remnants of war. EU assistance covers all key aspects – mine clearance, risk education, victim assistance, stockpile destruction, capacity building and research and development on mine detection and clearance technology. In the period of 2012-2016, the EU Institutions provided nearly EUR 300 million to mine action activities in 33 affected countries, including Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, Syria and Ukraine. In the same period, EU Member States provided another EUR 300 million.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.