Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to thank the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis for convening this meeting. Bangladesh aligns itself with the Statement delivered by Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Mr. President,
We have gathered here today in the quest to make our world more secure, more just, and more equitable. The UN, created from the ashes of the Second World War, in its very first resolution, envisioned a world free of nuclear weapons. Since then, 77 years have passed. Yet, our present and future generations continue to live under the threat of nuclear catastrophe.
Mr. President,
Bangladesh’s commitment to general and complete disarmament is total and unwavering. It is our constitutional obligation and remains a fundamental tenet of our peace-centric foreign policy objectives. Bangladesh had always remained at the forefront in assuming higher obligations under all major multilateral disarmament treaties.
We firmly believe that the ultimate guarantee of international peace and security lies in the total elimination of nuclear weapons. It was from that conviction we ratified the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). We welcome the first State Parties’ meeting to the TPNW and its declaration, and a 50-point Action Plan to take forward the Treaty’s mission. We would like to see, as a matter of priority, its full implementation by all, including the nuclear-weapon states as well as nuclear-umbrella states. We look forward to the second State Parties’ meeting later this year.
We consider NPT as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the fundamental foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. My delegation expresses deep disappointment over the consecutive failure of the 9th and the 10th NPT Review Conferences to adopt a consensual outcome document. We also remain frustrated as the CTBT could not enter into force yet.
Mr. President,
Today, as we commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of nuclear weapons, I would like to flag few points:
First, no one is safe as long as nuclear weapons exist. The death and destruction they cause cut across border, across generations. Therefore, we believe the total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against this menace. Nuclear weapon states must extend to the non-nuclear weapon states effective, unconditional and non-discriminatory assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
Second, the risks of the use of nuclear weapons whether by intent or accidents are on the rise. There are no right hands to handle these wrong weapons. We call upon the nuclear weapon states to take stringent measures to avoid the risk of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists or other unauthorized actors.
Third, we call for increased investment in research of nuclear technology and explore the potentials of the peaceful use of nuclear energy for the benefit of humankind through effective international cooperation.
And finally, the world needs to stop investing in nuclear weapons proliferation. Instead, these weapons undermine our commitments to preventing climate change, promoting sustainable development, ensuring peace and stability.
Mr. President,
On this international commemoration day, we call upon everyone to abide by and nurture the philosophy of the ‘culture of peace’, which we are promoting in the UNGA. Let us re-commit to strengthen our efforts towards the goal of a peaceful and nuclear weapons free world, and recommence the stalled negotiations on general and complete disarmament without further delay.
I thank you.