Statement by the representative of the Russian Federation to the First Committee of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly Vladimir Yermakov in the First Committee on “disarmament machinery” cluster
Mr. Chair,
Russia consistently calls for strengthening and increasing the efficiency of the UN disarmament machinery. Its three interdependent and mutually reinforcing components – the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) and the UNGA First Committee – are united by a common goal which is to maintain international security.
Our main efforts are aimed at overcoming stagnation at the Geneva-based CD and launching negotiations on the core issues of its agenda pursuant to the CD mandate. This is precisely the objective of the Russia’s proposal to start elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Acts of Chemical and Biological Terrorism (ICCBT). Our initiative does not infringe upon the interests of any State. It is intended to work out a new instrument that would complement the international legal framework of countering the WMD-related terrorism and contribute to strengthening regional and international security.
Our proposal as well as the draft CD Program of Work which combines both the beginning of pre-negotiation work on ICCBT and continuation of discussions on various aspects of nuclear disarmament remains on the table. We expect to resume its consideration at the next CD session.
We welcome active engagement of the delegations in discussing the CD agenda items within of the informal “Way ahead” Working Group in search for topics acceptable for all participants that could become a basis for a consensus Program of Work. We highly appreciate the efforts made by the Myanmar Presidency to that end.
We expect that in future the CD work will be based on the established practice and the principles that were enshrined in its foundations at a time of the establishment of this unique negotiating forum in the area of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. The task of all the CD participants is to jointly search for the way out of deadlock rather than bring about yet more differences to our work.
As a positive sign we consider the fruitful outcome of the recent substantive session of the UNDC. The work by the Bulgarian Chair of the Working Group on conventional weapons is highly commendable. For the first time since 1999 the UNDC adopted a consensus outcome document. We are convinced that the potential of this essential component of the UN disarmament machinery is far from being exhausted. We hope that the next triennial cycle will bring progress also within its first Working Group. Given the differences between nuclear and non-nuclear weapon States this will be quite a difficult task to achieve though. Russia is ready to keep on discussing the entire set of issues related to this topic which is quite sensitive for us, both in New York and Geneva.
We thank Argentina as the 2017 UNDC Chair, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs as well as our Chinese and US colleagues for the attention and flexibility that was demonstrated when considering the trilateral proposal to include the issue of TCBMs/PAROS in the UNDC agenda. We expect that the draft resolution on the UNDC report will adequately reflect this initiative, and that starting from its next session the UNDC will work hard on this topic that is so important for international security.
We appreciate the efforts by Ecuador as the OEWG Chair in addressing the complex task of finding a common denominator for the positions of States with regard to the preparation for the SSOD-IV. The OEWG succeeded in coming up with a well balanced document which from our perspective serves as a good basis for further common work on dealing with the outstanding issues.
The UN will continue to play the leading role in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. Each component of the UN disarmament machinery should responsibly and efficiently fulfill the functions entrusted upon. We as the UN Member States are required to ensure that the CD, the UNDC, and the UNGA First Committee deliver upon their respective mandates. To that end we should strive for compromise and demonstrate political will. In the long run not only the future of the UN disarmament machinery or the smooth functioning of its components is at stake but what is more important – international peace, strategic stability and security. We must always be aware of that.
