Delegate Tells First Committee — Nuclear Arms Control Initiatives Detached from International Security Realities ‘Are Like Climbing Trees for Fish’
All efforts must be made to reduce nuclear risks, including the promotion of dialogue by all and a reduction of the role of nuclear weapons in national policy, the representative of China tells the First Committee, as it continued its thematic debate on nuclear weapons.
The international community “should refrain from playing with fire via forward deployment of strategic forces,” he said, urging nuclear-weapon States to abandon the deployment and development of global anti-missile systems.
He also called for stopping the forward deployment of land-based, intermediate-range missiles in the proximity of other nuclear-weapon States, to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation.
He said that nuclear arms control initiatives detached from international security realities “are like climbing trees for fish and will hardly succeed”.
China has always kept its nuclear force at the minimum level required for national security. Its nuclear arsenal is limited in scope and it has no intention of pursuing a nuclear arms race. He added that Beijing is ready "to take the lead in signing the Protocol” for the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.
The representative of the United Kingdom highlighted China’s lack of transparency over its nuclear weapons. While Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea undermine the non-proliferation architecture and threaten international security with their programmes, China and the Russian Federation block Security Council efforts to hold the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to account, which “sends a dangerous signal to those seeking to undermine international security”.
He said that recent remarks regarding “denuclearization” by the Russian Federation’s Foreign Minister has “lost all meaning” in relation to Pyongyang. The Russian Federation’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, its irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, reversing commitments to not test nuclear weapons, and recklessly risking the safe operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants “are not the behaviours of a responsible nuclear-weapon State,” he said.
The United Kingdom’s approach is in stark contrast to the actions of other States, he stressed. It is committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all. It has contributed significantly to reductions in the global stockpile of nuclear weapons and it is the only nuclear-weapon State to operate a single delivery system. It shows transparency around the safety, security and effectiveness of its deterrent through its engagement with Parliament, the public and in world forums, taking practical steps to reduce the risk of nuclear war.
Iran’s representative spoke about the United Kingdom's new integrated policy to expand its nuclear arsenal and France's test-firing of the M51.3 long-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. What further highlights the hypocrisy of these countries is their silence on the actual proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, he said, adding that the Israeli regime, known to possess various types of mass destruction weapons, is given a pass, while they unjustly criticize Iran's peaceful nuclear programme.
It is deplorable, he continued, that the original and foundational balance of principles within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been distorted by some nuclear-weapon States, led by the United States, towards an overemphasis on non-proliferation principles, while neglecting disarmament and peaceful-use principles.
In his turn, the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said some see nuclear weapons as the main tool for accomplishing world hegemony and remain engrossed in the expansion of nuclear armaments, contrary to the international community’s unanimous desire. The United States is constantly modernizing the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, under various pretexts, including deterrence. It unilaterally withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty five years ago and this year is accelerating the deployment of intermediate-range missiles in Asia and Europe, endangering the stability of these regions, he said.
“The prevailing reality clearly shows who is the prime mover hindering nuclear disarmament today and eroding the non-proliferation regime,” he said. The United States should immediately stop “nuclear criminal acts,” which undermine international peace and security. The security environment of the Korean peninsula is under grave threat as the United States-led alliance evolves into nuclear-based military blocs. The attempt to use nuclear weapons against his country is now translated into reality via “active operation of links between the Republic of Korea and the United States and nuclear war exercises”. Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons are for self-defence and pose no threat to any country, he emphasized.
Pakistan's delegate spotlighted fissile material for nuclear weapons, asserting that States that do not need to produce it after having already amassed several tons of it in excess are pushing for cost-free proposals, such as quantitative capping of fissile material as “the next logical step”. In these diversionary tactics, they are joined with fervor by the States who rely on others for extended deterrence and nuclear-weapon-sharing arrangements.
He added that India was first to introduce nuclear weapons in his region and nuclearized the Indian Ocean. It refuses to commit to non-testing, threatens aggression against Pakistan, rejects implementation of resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir of the Security Council, where it wants to sit as a permanent member, and spurns dialogue on restraint measures. Also, the largest nuclear-weapon States, in disregard of their nuclear disarmament obligations, continue to modernize their arsenals.
The representative of Ukraine, recalling his country’s decision to get rid of nuclear weapons, said the Russian Federation’s security assurances to Kyiv through the 1994 Budapest Memorandum failed to deter its aggressions, first in 2014 and again in 2022, “as there were no immediate costs for their betrayal”. States must be protected by explicit external commitments, backed by practical arrangements, including military support if necessary, he said.
He deemed unacceptable the Russian Federation’s threats to nuclear facilities in Ukraine through its continuing the illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Moscow is also considering strikes on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and their infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid during the winter months, which may leave large parts of Ukraine without electricity and increase the risk of a catastrophic nuclear accident.
Echoing these concerns, Czechia’s delegate said the Russian Federation, from its illegal occupation of parts of Georgia to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is the reason for the general lack of progress on nuclear disarmament. It has made clear what it thinks of the rights of other countries to live in peace and prosperity. “Russia’s actions have unfortunately rolled back efforts in nuclear disarmament by decades,” he said, adding that Moscow now appears intent on becoming the world’s most dangerous proliferator, clandestinely trading arms and technologies with Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Similarly, the speaker for Sri Lanka underscored a remarkable lack of political will that marks “the continued state of stagnation to progress on disarmament”. He cited “nebulous” concepts such as strategic stability, nuclear deterrence and security environment. The only guarantee against the use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination. Despite the stated commitment of nuclear-weapon States and long-standing requests by the non-nuclear-weapon States to receive such legally binding assurances, no tangible progress has been achieved in this regard. “The third pillar of the NPT is essentially the third leg in a three-legged stool, whose collapse is inevitable if one leg is broken.”
In the same vein, the delegate for Mexico rejected the notion that nuclear weapons somehow enhance security. Their use would affect all countries. He also called nuclear deterrence a fallacy. Those with the largest nuclear weapons arsenals must return to diplomatic dialogue and negotiations for new measures for nuclear arms controls and reduction.
The representative of Burkina Faso urged all nuclear Powers to respect their obligations under the NPT and for all States to work towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons. He also called for the universalization of international instruments in that regard. He is convinced that the development and maintenance of high standards of nuclear safety and security could be guarantees for the optimal exploitation of nuclear science and technology.
African countries acknowledge the existential threat nuclear weapons pose to human existence, said the representative of Nigeria. It was on this premise they collectively adopted the Pelindaba Treaty, which prohibits the acquisition of nuclear weapons for military purposes and declares Africa a nuclear-weapon-free zone. Nigeria urges other regions, especially those not yet free of nuclear weapons, to follow suit.
Speaking on behalf of the Maldives, a nation with “no history of weapons production or proliferation,” its delegate called for multilateralism and dialogue. The funds currently spent on maintaining nuclear arsenals should be redirected towards addressing global challenges such as poverty, hunger, health care and climate change. True security lay not in stockpiling weapons, but through “investing in the well-being of our people and our planet,” he stressed.
The right of reply on the nuclear weapons cluster was exercised by representatives of Belarus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, France, China, Italy, Israel, Japan, United States, Ireland, United Kingdom, Iran and Mauritania.