Speech - Permanent Mission of Mongolia

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Permanent Mission of Mongolia
Mission Permanente de la Mongolie

S T A T E M E N T
BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR KHASBAZARYN BEKHBAT
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MONGOLIA
TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

PLENARY MEETING
27 February 2003

Mr. President,
As I am taking the floor for the first time under your presidency, let me on behalf of the Mongolian delegation extend to you our warmest congratulations on your assumption of the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament and assure you of my delegation’s full support and cooperation.

I also wish to express my delegation’s deep appreciation for the excellent work done by the outgoing President Ambassador R.Sood of India.

I would like to take this opportunity to express condolences to the delegation of the People’s Republic of China in connection with an earthquake that took away the lives of hundreds of people and request it to convey our sincere sympathy to the bereaved families.

Mr. President,
My delegation shares the concerns and the growing frustration over the continued deadlock in the work of the Conference on Disarmament. The present situation at the Conference of Disarmament is especially regrettable in the light of the urgent need for effective and coordinated response of the international community to new challenges.

Given the nature of security threats in the wake of the terrorist attack of September 11, the international community should redouble its efforts to reduce and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, and achieve tangible progress in the areas of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. However, some important international instruments aimed at promoting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation still await either entry into force or effective implementation.

My delegation fully subscribes to the view that the total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. Therefore, it is vitally important to translate the manifested political will and the unequivocal commitments made with regard to the total elimination of nuclear weapons into practice.

Mongolia supports the adoption of such measures as de-alerting of nuclear weapons, removal of nuclear warheads from delivery vehicles, joint undertakings by the nuclear powers of a pledge not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, providing legally-binding negative security assurances to non-nuclear states and other measures conducive to reducing the risk of unauthorized or miscalculated use of nuclear weapons.

The tragedy of September 11 was a serious signal on the increasing danger of possible use by non-State actors of weapons of mass destruction. The potential threat emanating from a possible use by terrorists of weapons of mass destruction in no way can be underestimated. In this context, I believe that multilateral approaches to arms control, disarmament and security issues, a strict compliance with and further enhancement and universalisation of the existing international instruments in this field are of paramount importance for advancing the goal of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. It is vitally important for the international community to promote closer cooperation to upgrade the physical protection of nuclear materials, to combat illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources, to finalize the work on the draft convention against nuclear terrorism.

Mongolia attaches prime significance to further promoting and strengthening the process of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. It welcomed the signing in May 2002 in Moscow of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States which will substantially reduce the number of nuclear warheads by the year of 2012. We think it imperative that nuclear powers continue pursuit of nuclear disarmament in good faith as stipulated in Article YI of the NPT and in the decisions of the 2000 NPT Review Conference. Mongolia supports efforts to ensure successful outcome of the next Review Conference due in 2005.

We believe that consolidation and establishment of new nuclear-weapon-free zones are important factors for strengthening non-proliferation as well as regional stability and security. Mongolia is striving to make its modest contribution to this cause by strengthening its nuclear-weapon-free status and supporting the establishment of such zones in various parts of the world.

Outer space, being the common heritage of the mankind, should be explored and used solely for peaceful purposes to the benefit of all nations. We support the joint initiative by delegations of the Russian Federation and China aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space and threat or use of force against space objects through agreeing and adopting a relevant legally-binding instrument.Mongolia fully shares the legitimate concerns of the international community over the illicit trafficking and global proliferation of small arms and light weapons especially in the conflict-stricken regions. We attach great importance to the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted in 2001 by the UN Conference. We expect that the First Biennial Meeting of States on the Implementation of this Programme will contribute to promoting this goal.

Mr. President,
My delegation associates itself with the Statement made by the Group of 21 at the CD plenary meeting on 30 January, 2003.

The Programme of Work is still a stumbling block that prevents us to start a substantive work at the Conference on Disarmament. My delegation appreciates your efforts, Mr. President, as well as efforts by your predecessors to find a viable way out of the long-lasting impasse and revitalize the work of the CD. We are all aware that there was no lack in proposals and initiatives but none of them so far have led us to a breakthrough.

We welcome the latest initiative put forward by five Ambassadors as a commendable effort to get the CD down to a substantive work . It is widely valued as a cross-regional initiative open to further
amendments and improvements with a view to accommodate the interests of all member states. My delegation can go along with many elements of this proposal. But we think that further consultations are needed to make it acceptable to all members of the CD.

In view of my delegation, it is imperative to start concrete and substantive work in the CD by adopting the Programme of Work for the 2003 session and thus, live up to the expectations of the international community. In parallel with our efforts to reach consensus on the Programme of Work, we should explore all other avenues .

In conclusion, I would like to assure you , Mr.President, that my delegation will work in close cooperation with you and other delegations to reinvigorate the role of the CD as the sole multilateral negotiating body in the field of disarmament.