UNDC Substantive Session

Statement by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations at the UNDC Substantive Session - 7 April 2008

Mr. Chairman,

The Pakistan delegation is pleased to felicitate you on your election as the Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Commission. We also would like to congratulate the Vice Chairs, Chairs of the Working Groups as well as Members of the Bureau. We look forward to extending full cooperation to you and the other office bearers.

2. It is also good to see High Representative Sergio Duarte who has played an important role in steering the deliberations of the UNDC.
3. We align our selves with the Group position of the Non-Aligned Movement enunciated by Indonesia.

Mr. Chairman,

4. Pakistan is convinced that viable security can only flow from a cooperative approach and the construction of collective security within a rule-based international order. It is, therefore, imperative that unilateralism and exclusive approaches and groupings yield to an agreed multilateral approach.
5. Every State’s right to "security" is recognized by the UN Charter. The Final Document of SSOD-I enshrined the principle of “equal security” for all states.
6. Pakistan has pursued the goal of effective, verifiable security at bilateral, regional and international levels. We adhere to the policy of minimum credible deterrence to promote and pursue security in South Asia.

Mr. Chairman,

7. A global consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation has eroded over the past fifteen years due to the unwillingness of certain states to give up nuclear weapons; vertical proliferation; a still born CTBT; ongoing nuclear development and deployment by the three ex-NPT Nuclear Weapon States; perceived threat of proliferation from NPT signatory states; technological capability of several non-nuclear weapon states to develop nuclear weapons; large stockpiles of fissile material; addition of non-state actors to the equation; discriminatory application of non-proliferation norms; failure of military and coercive means to counter proliferation; exacerbation of asymmetries and upsetting of balances between states through militarization of outer space, development and deployment of ABM systems as well as the drive to develop useable nuclear weapons.
8. To help revive the original consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation, Pakistan has proposed that a Special Conference be convened to evolve a new consensus that is concordant with new realities.
9. To be meaningful, such a consensus should:

• regenerate commitment by all states to complete nuclear disarmament;
• eliminate the duplicitous discrimination that is the bane of the current non proliferation machinery;
• normalize the relationship of the three ex-NPT nuclear weapon states with NPT.
• help realize the objective of verifiable international disarmament;
• address new issues like access to WMD by non-state actors; vertical nuclear proliferation;
• help us agree upon universally applicable non-discriminatory rules for ensuring fulfillment of every state’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy;
• enshrine universal, non-discriminatory and legally binding negative security assurances to non-nuclear weapon states;
• address the issue of missiles in its entirety including development and deployment of ABM systems;
• strengthen existing international instruments to prevent the militarization of outer space including development of ASATs;
• tackle, in a realistic and constructive manner, the disturbing trend of escalation in armed forces and accumulation and sophistication of conventional weapons;
• arrest the disturbing trend of escalation in the number and sophistication of conventional weapons which has a causal relationship with the continuing reliance on nuclear weapons.
• identify means of fully implementing the UN PoA on Small Arms and Light Weapons; and
• revitalize the UN disarmament machinery, specially the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) and the First Committee to address the international security, disarmament and proliferation challenges;

Mr. Chairman,

10. Pakistan supports negotiations on a Fissile Material Treaty based on the Shannon Mandate and the A-5 proposal for a universal, non-discriminatory and multilateral Treaty, which is internationally and effectively verifiable.
11. We also need to develop regional and international mechanisms aimed at promoting conventional disarmament and reduction of military expenditures. Weapon possession should flow from legitimate security needs and not the desire to dominate fellow UN Member States or to impose one’s own diktat or worldview on others. Pakistan is opposed to an arms race at the regional or global level.
12. The obstacles to reviving the disarmament process are many and are seemingly difficult. But the stakes are too high for us to resign ourselves to a perpetual deadlock. Political will and a genuine empathy for the security concerns of others can lead us in the direction of a genuine and agreed multilateral process of disarmament and non-proliferation.
13. To find a meaningful solution we need a holistic approach that addresses the different facets of the issue with equal earnestness. The Disarmament Commission can play the role envisaged for it by SSOD i.e. to clarify issues; identify negotiables and help revive a general consensus on nuclear and conventional disarmament and non-proliferation. Such a consensus should be sanctified in a Special Conference under UN auspices.

Thank you.