Mr. Chairman,
The First Special Session of the General Assembly devoted to Disarmament established the current disarmament machinery of the United Nations system, where each of its components plays a fundamental role and specific functions that must be preserved.
Cuba attaches great importance to the promotion of multilateralism as the basic principle of disarmament negotiations and to the need to make concrete progress, giving the highest priority to nuclear disarmament.
In this regard, the adoption and signing this year of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which codified in international law the illegitimacy and illegality of nuclear weapons, outlawing the existence, use and threat of use of such weapons and all kinds of nuclear tests, is encouraging. As a signatory to the Treaty, we support its early entry into force.
Furthermore, we hope that the agreements reached on the objectives and agenda of a Fourth Special Session of the General Assembly on Disarmament, and the recommendations on confidence-building measures in the field of conventional weapons in the Disarmament Commission, will contribute to reversing the stagnation of the disarmament machinery as well as to promoting the advancement of other issues.
Mr. Chairman,
The Conference on Disarmament (CD) plays an unquestionable and key role as the only multilateral disarmament treaty negotiating forum.
We regret that the paralysis of the Conference, which has already reached two decades, adversely affects its mandate and the proper functioning of the disarmament machinery.
While we are open to optimizing the working methods of the CD, the modification of its working methods and rules of procedure is not essential for advancing negotiations in this forum.
The situation of the Conference on Disarmament is a result of the lack of political will of some of its Member States that seek to maintain the status quo. The Conference is prepared to negotiate several agenda items simultaneously, as long as the willingness of all prevails.
Mr. Chairman,
Cuba reiterates its concern about the growing tendency to establish groups of experts with a limited membership to discuss issues on the disarmament and arms control agenda, which are highly sensitive and of interest for all Member States. The establishment of these groups should be the exception and not the rule. Their functioning should be based on the principle of transparency, giving the possibility for Member States to take a part in its work under equal conditions.
I would like to conclude by emphasizing that at the initiative of the Non-Aligned Movement which convened the High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament in 2013, a United Nations High-Level International Conference on Nuclear Disarmament will be held in 2018 to review the progress made in this regard.
We hope that this Conference will be a success and will also be supported by all those committed to nuclear disarmament and peace.
Thank you very much