{"id":32431,"date":"2023-10-03T20:30:45","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T18:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=32431"},"modified":"2023-10-03T20:36:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T18:36:54","slug":"united-nations-high-level-meeting-on-elimination-of-nuclear-weapons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=32431","title":{"rendered":"United Nations High-Level Meeting on Elimination of Nuclear Weapons"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION<\/p>\n

An article from the United Nations<\/a><\/p>\n

With the catastrophic potential inherent in nuclear weapons hanging over the fate of humankind, the only way to prevent the use of such arsenals \u2014 and the Armageddon such an act would unleash \u2014 is to completely eliminate them, speakers said today during the General Assembly\u2019s annual high-level commemoration of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.<\/p>\n

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\nDennis Francis (General Assembly President) in video of the High-Level Meeting on Elimination of Nuclear Weapons<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres <\/strong>observed that \u201cnuclear sabres are again being rattled\u201d in a world that has \u201cspent too long under the shadow of nuclear weapons\u201d as he delivered opening remarks. \u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s make history by consigning nuclear weapons to history,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

To do so, however, nuclear-weapon States must lead the way, he stressed, calling on them to meet their disarmament obligations.\u00a0 Any use of nuclear weapons would unleash a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the timeless message of the\u00a0hibakusha\u00a0\u2014 the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,\u201d he said, adding that the \u201cNew Agenda for Peace\u201d can help usher in a nuclear-weapon-free world.<\/p>\n

Also delivering introductory remarks was Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago)<\/strong>, President of the General Assembly, who stated:\u00a0 \u201cThe risk of nuclear annihilation is not a chapter from our past; it is a haunting reality of our present.\u201d\u00a0 The more agitated people and nations become, the higher the risk of stumbling mistakenly into a nuclear nightmare.\u00a0 \u201cThere is only one path to avoid nuclear Armageddon:\u00a0that is the complete and absolute elimination of nuclear weapons,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

In the ensuing discussion, nearly 80\u00a0speakers took the floor to present various approaches towards creating a world free of such weapons.\u00a0 Many delegates pushed for the advancement of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and commitment to the existing nuclear-disarmament-and-non-proliferation regime.\u00a0 Some speakers, however, expressed frustration over the slow pace of disarmament and warned against ongoing nuclear modernization that is creating arsenals of improved speed, accuracy and stealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us,\u201d said Ali Sabry, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka<\/strong>, borrowing the words of former United States President John F. Kennedy, who addressed the General Assembly in 1961.\u00a0 These words of caution are directly relevant to today\u2019s world, he said.\u00a0 For its part, Sri Lanka prides itself in offering a sense of forward movement through its accession to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons just days ago.<\/p>\n

Yashar T. Aliyev (Azerbaijan<\/strong>), speaking for the Non-Aligned Movement, said that nuclear-weapon States\u2019 lack of progress towards the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals remains an issue of deep concern to the Movement, urging \u00a0concrete steps in this area.\u00a0 He added that the annual observance of the International Day is an effective means with which to draw the international public\u2019s attention to the unacceptable dangers posed by nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

Keith McBean (Ireland<\/strong>) said that today\u2019s meeting occurs at a time of crisis, spotlighting the Russian Federation\u2019s war of aggression against Ukraine along with its accompanying nuclear threats.\u00a0 Urging Moscow to refrain from such rhetoric,\u00a0 he stressed:\u00a0 \u201cAny and all nuclear threats, whether explicit or implicit and irrespective of circumstance, are unacceptable.\u201d \u00a0He also expressed regret that the Kremlin blocked agreement on a final outcome at the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.<\/p>\n

Charles Jose, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines<\/strong>, said that \u2014 despite reductions in the deployment of nuclear weapons since the cold war \u2014 \u201cnot a single one has been physically destroyed under any treaty\u201d. \u00a0This, coupled with the alarming modernization and proliferation of nuclear arms, calls for urgent action, he said, joining a growing call for nuclear-weapon States to completely disarm.<\/p>\n

(continued in right column)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Question(s) related to this article:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(continued from left column)<\/p>\n

In the same vein, Zaheer Laher, Chief Director of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa<\/strong>, warned that greater emphasis on nuclear weapons\u2019 role in security doctrines heightens the possibility of a new nuclear arms race.\u00a0 In this \u201chypocrisy of nuclear apartheid\u201d, he pointed out that the security of some risks the security of all humanity.\u00a0 The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, such as the one in Africa, is an important disarmament and non-proliferation measure, and he expressed support for the establishment of new zones \u2014 especially in regions of tension such as the Middle East and Europe.<\/p>\n

On that, Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud (Egypt<\/strong>), speaking for the Arab Group, stressed the importance of establishing a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.\u00a0 Expressing concern over Israel\u2019s nuclear stockpiles, he underlined the need to avoid an arms race in the region.\u00a0 As such, he commended the participation of States \u2014 while spotlighting Israel\u2019s absence \u2014 in conferences aimed at establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLatin America and the Caribbean have done their part,\u201d said Inga Rhonda King (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines<\/strong>), who spoke for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). \u00a0\u201cIt is well known that the countries of our region do not possess nuclear weapons,\u201d she said, referring to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established a nuclear-weapons-free zone in that region.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Tarek Ladeb (Tunisia<\/strong>), speaking for the African Group, underscored its commitment to the Treaty of Pelindaba, which declared Africa a nuclear-weapons-free zone. \u00a0This prohibits, among other things, the stationing or testing of nuclear explosive devices on the continent. \u00a0He urged all Member States \u2014 especially nuclear Powers and those under the so-called \u201cnuclear umbrella\u201d \u2014 to urgently sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and pursue the goal of a world free of such weapons.<\/p>\n

Hala Hameed, head of the Bilateral Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives<\/strong>, was among those who recalled the very first Assembly resolution \u2014 adopted in 1946 \u2014 which identified nuclear disarmament as a leading goal of the United Nations.\u00a0 To that end, the Maldives joined the 68\u00a0States that have ratified or acceded to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, she noted, urging all Member States who have not done so to ratify the instrument.<\/p>\n

While many speakers echoed the call to advance that accord, Ishikane Kimihiro (Japan<\/strong>) was among those who underlined the importance of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.\u00a0 Urging nuclear-weapon States to proactively fulfil their obligations under the latter, he also pledged to cooperate with the international community to address non-proliferation issues related to the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea and Iran.<\/p>\n

In the absence of his counterparts from certain top nuclear-weapon States at today\u2019s meeting, Geng Shuang (China<\/strong>) said that his country has consistently upheld a nuclear strategy of self-defence.\u00a0 Beijing, he stated, \u201calways keeps its capabilities at the minimum level required\u201d to safeguard national security, never engages in arms races with other nuclear-weapon States and neither provides a nuclear umbrella nor deploys weapons abroad.<\/p>\n

As well, Sanjay Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs of India<\/strong>, said that his country is a responsible nuclear-weapon State and is committed to maintaining credible minimum deterrence with a posture of \u201cno first use\u201d and \u201cnon-use against non-nuclear-weapon States\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Zahra Ershadi (Iran<\/strong>) noted that allocations by the United States and the United Kingdom of $50.9\u00a0billion and \u00a33\u00a0billion, respectively, to their nuclear-weapon programmes clearly indicate the ongoing failure of nuclear Powers to meet their disarmament obligations.<\/p>\n

On that, Bruno Rodr\u00edguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba<\/strong>, warned that global military spending grew for the eighth consecutive year in 2022 to reach an all-time high of $2.24\u00a0trillion.\u00a0Calling this \u201cscandalous\u201d, he said that millions of dollars spent on nuclear weapons should go to alleviate poverty and hunger.<\/p>\n

Building on that was Michael Bootii Nauan, Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives of Kiribati<\/strong>, who detailed the impacts of nuclear-weapon testing in 1958 on his country\u2019s people.\u00a0 Unaware of the dangers of such tests, many would later complain about all sorts of untreatable illnesses and die.\u00a0 He therefore issued a demand to safely dissemble all nuclear weapons and re-direct their \u201cnuclear profits\u201d to peace and industrial development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION An article from the United Nations With the catastrophic potential inherent in nuclear weapons hanging over the fate of humankind, the only way to prevent the use of such arsenals \u2014 and the Armageddon such an act would unleash \u2014 is to completely eliminate them, speakers said today during the General … Continue reading United Nations High-Level Meeting on Elimination of Nuclear Weapons<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,15,76,93],"tags":[11,94],"class_list":["post-32431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-disarmament","category-information","category-global","category-united-nations","tag-global","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32431\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}