Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Statement by Mr Raύl Peláez of Argentina to the Conference on Disarmament 9th September 2008

Unofficial Transcript

My delegations wished to take the floor on this last formal meeting on the Conference on Disarmament to thank you for the work you have done to achieve adoption of the report of the Conference on Disarmament to the United Nations General Assembly.

As a Latin American state we are proud to have witnessed the leadership and determination of Venezuela during their leadership of work in the past two weeks. The basis for negotiation put to us was an excellent reflection of the progress made in this forum in 2008, aimed at fostering substantive discussion of the seven items of the agenda. Subsequent amendments to the text are a reflection of a spirit of compromise and flexibility of most members of the Conference. We think that both elements can continue to spearhead work during the 2009 sessions.

Through you, sir, I would like to congratulate the six Presidents of the Conference on Disarmament for the excellent work that they have done throughout the year with the view to adopt a program of work on the basis of document CD 1840. Elements thereof have been supported by the ministry of Foreign Affairs in my country in the 3rd of March and this was also done repeatedly in statements done at Regional level.

During 2009, Argentina will be serving as Presidents of the Conference and we are keen to build on the basis of the work done this year as well as that done in previous sessions of the Conference. In other words we will be sparing no effort to ensure that continued basis are laid for the early adoption of the program of work and in order to restore after more than a decade the sole negotiating forum on disarmament for the United Nations.

Thank you.