New York, October 2023.
Mr. President:
We congratulate you and the other members of the Bureau on your election. We endorse the statement of Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and that of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
We come to this new session of the First Committee with a long list of topics to discuss in the area of disarmament in the context of international security, to address long-standing global threats and new emerging challenges.
However, as long as the achievement of a nuclear-weapon-free world remains pending, nuclear disarmament must remain the highest priority in the field of disarmament. The total elimination of nuclear weapons, in a transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner, is more than a legitimate, long-standing aspiration; it is a matter of survival for humankind. The Summit of the Future cannot ignore this very high priority when discussing efforts to contribute to international peace and security.
We advocate the universalization of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The adoption and entry into force of this Treaty was a milestone in the history of the United Nations, by codifying the illegitimacy and illegality of nuclear weapons in international law, categorically outlawing the existence, use and threat of use of these weapons and all types of nuclear testing. Each new State that joins this instrument of the disarmament and non-proliferation regime represents a new step towards the de-legitimization of nuclear weapons.
We reaffirm our commitment to the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons and the Chemical Weapons Conventions.
We welcome the creation of a working group to develop specific measures to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention, including legally binding verification actions and the establishment of a mechanism to ensure the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of the international cooperation provisions of this Convention.
We reject selective, biased and politically motivated approaches in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the creation of mechanisms and procedures that go beyond the technical mandate of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
We condemn the imposition of unilateral coercive measures, which limit or impede, in a discriminatory manner, the exercise of the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy; as well as the promotion of international cooperation and scientific and technological progress of Member States in the biological and chemical fields. These illegal actions undermine the socio-economic development of the States on which they are imposed and contravene the provisions of several legally binding instruments in the sphere of disarmament.
We reject the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, which violates the provisions of Article X of the Biological Weapons Convention and Article XI of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Mr. President:
We reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. We stress the need to address the root causes of this scourge, to which end we will continue to advocate for increased international cooperation. We reaffirm the right of States to acquire and possess arms for their legitimate defense and security needs.
The adoption, as soon as possible, of a legally binding international instrument, within the framework of the United Nations, is required to prohibit the manufacture, possession and use of fully autonomous weapons and to establish specific regulations for the use of semi-autonomous weapons.
It is also necessary that the military dimension of artificial intelligence has a follow-up framework at the United Nations, in which all Member States participate, with a view to producing a global result on the use of this technology.
We support the continuity of the work of the Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies, a mechanism that allows States to discuss this increasingly important international issue in a transparent, inclusive and equal manner.
We reject the covert and illegal use of ICTs and radio-electronic space to subvert the legal and political order of States; as well as the use of these technologies to finance, encourage and commit violent actions and acts of terrorism. We denounce the use of these platforms from the territory of the United States against Cuba. We call for an immediate end to these policies that are contrary to national sovereignty and incompatible with peace, security, development and cooperation among States.
We advocate the exclusively peaceful use of cyberspace and outer space. Legally binding instruments are required that address the legal loopholes in both areas. We hope to contribute to discussions to progress towards achieving the prevention of an arms race in outer space.
We advocate the negotiation and adoption of a legally binding instrument banning autonomous weapons and regulating semi-autonomous weapons. After a decade of discussions in the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, concrete steps must be taken.
Mr. President:
We applaud the adoption of recommendations on transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space by the Disarmament Commission as it concludes its review cycle this year. We emphasize the need for the Commission to agree on recommendations aimed at achieving the goal of nuclear disarmament.
We call for compliance with the negotiating mandate of the Conference on Disarmament and the preservation of its procedures and practices. It is a priority to break the prolonged impasse in this body and to muster sufficient political will to make its work substantive and relevant again.
We will continue to promote the preservation and strengthening of the disarmament machinery, in strict adherence to multilateralism, as well as to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
Thank you