Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Statement delievered by Zimbabwe on behalf of the Group of 21 to the Conference on Disarmament 9th September 2008

Unofficial Transcript

Thank you Mr President I wish to commend you and your team for you exemplary work and that of your team for facilitating the Conference on Disarmament in 2008.

We, of the group of 21, are particularly indebted to you and your team for the generous energy and diplomatic skills you deployed to ensure that the Conference on Disarmament annual report to the General Assembly is adopted.

As we conclude for the 2008 session, our group puts on record its appreciation for the tremendous work done by your predecessors in the Presidency; the distinguished Ambassadors of Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.

Mr President, on a more personal note, may I take this opportunity to bid farewell to distinguished colleague and dear friend Ambassador Massod Khan of Pakistan, I wish him the best in his future endeavours, equally I also welcome the new colleagues whose names have been read out to us.

Mr President, also we wish to note and express our gratitude to this Secretariat under the leadership of Mr Ordzhonikidze for their excellent services and guidance during 2008.

Finally, Mr President, may I inform you how much the Group of 21 looks forward to a fruitful 2008 sessions on the Conference on Disarmament. We remain ready to make our steady contributions to the success of the Conference on Disarmament in the coming year.

Thank you Mr President