Mr. President;
We congratulate you on your election. You can count on the Cuban delegation to work towards the success of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We endorse the statement delivered by Azerbaijan, on behalf of the NAM Group of Member States which are party to the NPT.
We come to this Conference after the successful First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a complementary instrument with the NPT, whose entry into force and institutionalization is an undeniable milestone to make headway towards nuclear disarmament. We urge all States to ratify the TPNW for its speedy universalization.
Fifty-two years since the NPT came into force, twenty-one years after the adoption of the Thirteen Practical Steps and eleven years since the launch of the Action Plan for Nuclear Disarmament, we regret the lack of concrete progress in terms of nuclear disarmament, particularly, the non-compliance with the obligations and commitments undertaken by the nuclear-weapon states.
It is unacceptable that nuclear-weapon States use the resources that should be directed to addressing the multidimensional effects of COVID-19 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, to continue to develop new types of nuclear weapons, as well as increasing and modernizing their stockpiles; in violation of their reduction commitments. They are thus contributing to an accelerated vertical proliferation, contrary to their obligations under the NPT, in particular Article VI.
Military postures and doctrines based on nuclear deterrence, strategic stability, or the need to "lay down the conditions for nuclear disarmament" must be cast aside. The only sustainable solution to the existential problem posed by nuclear weapons is their total elimination, in a transparent, irreversible and verifiable manner. In this regard, we reject attempts to condition nuclear disarmament and legitimize the status quo.
Political manipulation, selectivity and double standards regarding non-proliferation, must cease. It is neither fair nor acceptable for one group of States Parties to comply strictly with all NPT obligations while others do not. Nor is it fair and acceptable for certain countries to be condemned and demonized for alleged violations of the non-proliferation regime by the very States that continue refining their nuclear arsenals, supplying and transferring technologies.
Comprehensive progress must be made in the NPT implementation, particularly with regard to Article VI. To this end, a balanced review of the three pillars of the Treaty must be ensured as a sine qua non condition for the legitimacy, integrity and effectiveness of this instrument. In this regard, the Conference should conclude with an unequivocal call upon possessor States and those protected by the so-called "nuclear umbrella" to fulfill their obligations and implement, without preconditions or delay, the commitments agreed upon in 1995, 2000 and 2010, including the establishment of a Middle East Free Zone of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The protracted call by non-possessor states for irreversible security safeguards against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons must be addressed. Possessor states must be required to provide such safeguards, through a legally binding, universal and unconditional instrument.
No action or initiative of the Conference should be allowed to condition the inalienable right of States to promote research, production and peaceful use of nuclear energy, without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I, II, III and IV of the NPT. We reaffirm the need for the Parties to honor their commitments to facilitate involvement in the exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We reject, in the strongest terms, the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba and its extraterritorial scope.
We will continue to defend Cuba's staunch position in favor of the prohibition and total elimination of nuclear weapons, which precedes our status as a State Party to the NPT. This position is based on the profoundly humanistic stance of Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, and is endorsed in the Constitution of the Republic.
Thank you