Pakistan Mission to United Nations

Statement by Mr. Nabeel Munir, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, at the Security Council Open Debate on “Preventing catastrophe: A global agenda for stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors” (15 December, 2016)

Mr. President,

Today’s debate is timely as it coincides with conclusion of the Comprehensive Review of Resolution 1540 (2004), that will provide useful guidance for Member States in their implementation of the resolution.

Pakistan has been a consistent supporter of the objectives of Resolution 1540 and our commitment to its implementation has remained second to none. It is in the interest of all states to prevent proliferation of WMDs to states as well as non-state actors.

During the open consultations conducted under comprehensive review, we, along with many other states had stressed that its emphasis should be on effective, comprehensive and balanced implementation of Resolution 1540 by all states, across the board, rather than on expanding its scope. The resolution adopted today reflects the balance required to make the mechanism more effective.

Mr. President,

Improved matchmaking by the Committee, making it more responsive to requests by States for assistance is imperative. We welcome provisions in Resolution 2325 in this regard.

Closer cooperation between the Council and international and regional organizations is needed to coordinate activities, to avoid duplication and focus on the most important areas.

Mr. President,

Resolution 1540 has indeed positively contributed to advancement of non-proliferation goals. Its success owes less to its Chapter-VII provisions than to the cooperative approach it has engendered to promote implementation.

The resolution stresses the importance of engagement with States and recognizes the “voluntary nature” of country visits to be conducted, at the invitation of the States. This is expected to enhance ownership of the resolution’s implementation.

We would also like to highlight the resolution’s provision that none of the obligations in resolution 1540 shall be interpreted to alter the responsibilities of IAEA and OPCW.

Mr. President,

Let me underscore Pakistan’s commitment to its non-proliferation obligations, including steps taken for 1540 implementation:

• Under Resolution 1540, Pakistan has submitted four national implementation reports. Our fifth report on 1540 implementation will be submitted shortly. We are also organizing a Regional Seminar in February 2017 on promoting its better implementation at the regional level.
• Pakistan has elaborated and implemented a comprehensive export control regime, fully harmonized with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Australia Group. We have also declared voluntary adherence to NSG Guidelines.
• Pakistan is participating in the IAEA's Incident and Trafficking Database.
• We actively participated in and contributed to the NSS process.
• Our ratification of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and declaring adherence to NSG Guidelines are among the recent steps we have taken.
• Pakistan has been an active partner of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) since its inception in 2007, and has contributed to the development of its guidelines.
• We have declared a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and have offered to translate this into a bilateral arrangement on non-testing with India.

Mr. President,

The credentials enumerated above, clearly establish Pakistan’s eligibility to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The grant of waivers to long-held non-proliferation norms and rules carries obvious proliferation risks and also undermines regional strategic stability. It is therefore critical that an equitable, non-discriminatory and criteria-based approach to promote civil nuclear cooperation and membership of export controls regimes, in particular that of the NSG, is adopted.

I thank you Mr. President.