CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENTS FROM DIGNITARIES FROM ECUADOR AND VENEZUELA

The Conference on Disarmament this afternoon heard statements from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Ecuador and from the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela.

María Fernanda Espinosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Ecuador, said that the emergence of new threats had made it imperative for countries to prevent nuclear proliferation of all types, and to move forward as a matter of priority, and on a sustained basis, to realize a comprehensive nuclear disarmament programme. Ecuador supported international instruments for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and was opposed to an arms race in outer space. In addition, the Conference should identify common grounds to deal with terrorism, illicit trafficking in arms and transnational crime in general, in which arms played an essential role. In that connection, she called on all countries to actively participate in the negotiation of a convention on trade in conventional weapons.

Jorge Valero, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, said that the elimination of nuclear weapons was a priority. Venezuela called on the international community to tackle that task in the light of the dangers inherent in the existence of those weapons for all of mankind. Countries that possessed such weapons had to comply with the 13 practical steps set out in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which, among other things, called for nuclear disarmament negotiations to be undertaken in good faith. Furthermore the Conference on Disarmament had to establish an ad hoc Committee with the mandate of negotiating an instrument for nuclear disarmament. Venezuela regretted the negative stance of certain countries which continued to block progress in this area.

The next plenary of the Conference will be held on Tuesday, 13 March, at 10 a.m., when the Vice President of Colombia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Japan, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, the Assistant Foreign Minister of Viet Nam and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Italy will address the Conference.

Statements

MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Ecuador, said that the traditional threats related to the possible outbreak of a world war – whether nuclear or conventional – had not disappeared. On the contrary, new threats had emerged to join them, putting world peace at risk. For that reason, States had to work together to face the new challenges that lay in the path of peace and security, taking into account all their diversity and multidimensionality. The emergence of those risks had made it imperative for countries to prevent nuclear proliferation of all types, and to move forward as a matter of priority, and on a sustained basis, to realize a comprehensive nuclear disarmament programme. Ecuador reaffirmed its support for all efforts aimed at preventing the outbreak of armed conflicts, and gave its support to international instruments for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Furthermore, Ecuador was opposed to an arms race in outer space.

Ecuador had already stated in various forums its opposition to unilateral actions or initiatives – even when presented as collective initiatives – for the purpose of developing repressive measures against third States, and which did not have the support of the United Nations. Those initiatives sought to circumvent the United Nations system and international law. In Ecuador's view, the Conference on Disarmament had to undertake a commitment to undertake the prohibition of nuclear weapons through a convention and had to promote the final objective of the destruction of nuclear weapons arsenals. The mere existence of such weapons posed a threat to human security. In the meantime, until the total elimination of nuclear weapons was achieved, there was a priority to conclude a security assurances treaty. She also wished to recall that, since 1969, Ecuador had been a signatory of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, also known as Treaty of Tlatelolco.

The nuclear threat was a global menace, but there were other threats that had to be dealt with, the Minister said. The Conference should identify common grounds to deal with terrorism, illicit trafficking in arms and transnational crime in general, in which arms played an essential role. In that connection, she called on all countries to actively participate in the negotiation of a convention on trade in conventional weapons.

JORGE VALERO, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, said that the international scene today was marked by complexity and uncertainty. The expectations that had arisen after the end of the Cold War for the establishment of a new international order based on respect for international law, peace and cooperation had vanished with the emergence of conflicts in numerous regions throughout the world. The proponents of the "end of history" in the service of imperialism had hoped to impose a neo-liberal model on the world. That project had failed, as could be seen by the current imbalances such as poverty and social exclusion, whose effects on peace and stability in the world could not be overlooked. Uncontrolled capitalism had given way to questioning on the part of peoples, demanding their human rights, an end to sabre-rattling and full respect for the right to self-determination.

The Conference on Disarmament had been in a situation of inertia and paralysis for a decade now. Venezuela reaffirmed its full commitment to general and complete disarmament and non-proliferation and expressed its full support for the Conference as the sole multilateral negotiating forum in that area. The elimination of nuclear weapons was a priority. Venezuela called on the international community to tackle that task in the light of the dangers inherent in the existence of those weapons for all of mankind. Countries that possessed such weapons had to comply with the 13 practical steps set out in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which, among other things, called for nuclear disarmament negotiations to be undertaken in good faith. Furthermore the Conference on Disarmament had to establish an ad hoc Committee with the mandate of negotiating an instrument for nuclear disarmament. Venezuela regretted the negative stance of certain countries which continued to block progress in this area. That situation was harming the credibility of the Conference in the eyes of the world. Applying double standards, some countries, while styling themselves as champions of non-proliferation, were accusing other countries of not complying with their obligations under the NPT. In that connection, it bore recalling that one of the fundamental pillars of the NPT was the right to the development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and that right had to be guaranteed in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner.

The risk of militarization of outer space was also of concern to Venezuela. Rather than being an arena for war, outer space should be an arena for peaceful activities, for the benefit of all countries. Ecuador also advocated transparent negotiations leading to a fissile material convention, which should include existing stockpiles and a verification mechanism. In terms of negative assurances, Ecuador was in favour of an international legally binding treaty that would prevent those who had nuclear weapons from threatening to use them against non-possessor countries.