Qatar Stresses Importance of Addressing Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues

New York, October 10 (QNA) - The State of Qatar has underlined the importance of the multilateral framework in addressing the issues of disarmament and non-proliferation, and renewed its commitment to cooperation within the context of strengthening the international peace and security and to rid humanity of weapons of mass destruction in general and nuclear weapons in particular. This came in a statement of the State of Qatar on disarmament and international security delivered by HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Third Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations at the 69 session of the first Committee of the UN General Assembly general debate on all agenda items relating to disarmament and international security. HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani said that despite the importance attached by the international community to address the issues of disarmament, but the stalemate and the inability of the Conference on Disarmament since 1996 on adoption of the agenda of the Conference, clearly reflects a lack of political will, which is the cornerstone for reaching the target, noting that the lack of progress in the deliberations of the Disarmament Commission since 1999, and the lack of substantial progress in nuclear disarmament since the first session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, held in 1978, requires a specific ceiling of the objectives that should be achieved by each session of the General Assembly, in order to come up with conclusions and concrete recommendations that will help to achieve a qualitative leap in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, he added. He noted that the proliferation of small and light arms and weapons also constitutes one of the challenges facing the world in the field of disarmament, which requires from all parties, especially those that manufacture and export weapons, firm restrictions and an adequate control to prevent the proliferation of such weapons, as well as full compliance and optimal implementation of the United Nations programme of action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small and light arms and weapons in all its aspects. HE Sheikh Ahmed said Qatar believes that the only way to prevent an arms race in outer space and the maintenance of international peace and security requires a multilateral treaty, stressing that the Conference on Disarmament has the primary role in this regard, as the sole multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament. He said that the State of Qatar is keen on strengthening the Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the pillars on which the Treaty is based including the non-proliferation, disarmament and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, stressing in this regard the right of States parties to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, in accordance with the provisions of international law. The goal of building a world of stability and security cannot be achieved without the political will of Member States, as the only way to achieve that goal, he said concluding that there is no doubt that reducing budgets for acquisition of arms and military equipment and to materialize all international obligations in the field of disarmament, will achieve the objective we all seek.(END)