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Mr Chairman,
New Zealand strongly supports the views expressed by Sweden on behalf of the New Agenda Coalition. Nuclear disarmament remains a priority issue for my country and one on which progress must be made urgently to improve the security of all of us, and to facilitate the NPT's full and effective implementation.
New Zealand is also pleased to associate itself with the statement that will be delivered by Japan on the importance of disarmament and non-proliferation education.
New Zealand welcomes the positive steps that have been taken to reduce nuclear arsenals since the end of the Cold War. But much remains to be done in implementing the obligations contained in Article 6 of the Treaty. We call on all nuclear weapon States to take further steps towards the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals. We welcome the recent announcement by the US and Russia that negotiations on a new nuclear reductions agreement are about to get underway. We urge the two countries to work for a robust and ambitious agreement that contains irreversible and verifiable cuts in both strategic and non-strategic arsenals.
Such an agreement would demonstrate a concrete commitment to nuclear disarmament in advance of the 2010 Review Conference.
Mr Chairman,
New Zealand continues to be a strong proponent of the benefits of transparency and confidence building measures in regard to nuclear weapons. A more formalised reporting mechanism for the provision of information to non-nuclear weapon States remains a worthy and realistic objective for this review cycle.
Establishing clear parameters for the provision of information by all nuclear weapon States would be a significant confidence building-measure for nonnuclear weapon States, demonstrating that effective progress on nuclear disarmament is being pursued. Such action would assist in building confidence between the nuclear weapon States themselves, an important part of any global nuclear disarmament effort. It would also ensure that steps towards nuclear disarmament received due recognition.
New Zealand strongly supports action to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in military doctrines. Nuclear weapons should no longer be seen as offering a unique security advantage. We believe that nuclear weapons detract from greater international security.
We welcome the recent statement by President Obama that the US will take steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its national security strategy. We urge other nuclear weapon States to do likewise.
New Zealand associates itself with the statement made by Chile on the operational readiness of nuclear weapon systems. In New Zealand's view it is not possible to argue that there is an international security imperative for nuclear weapons to be kept at a high level of readiness. We urge all nuclear weapon States to take further steps to lower the operational status of their nuclear weapons. We encourage the US and Russia to include de-alerting in their negotiations on a new nuclear reductions agreement.
Mr Chairman,
New Zealand joins others in calling for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty as a matter of urgency. Entry into force of the CTBT would contribute to both nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation efforts. We call on all remaining Annex 2 States to ratify the Treaty as soon as possible.
The commencement of negotiations of a fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT) would also make a significant contribution to broader nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. We welcome the steps underway in the Conference on Disarmament led by the P6 aimed at achieving agreement on a programme of work which would include negotiations on an FMCT. New Zealand stands ready to contribute to this endeavour. We urge all other CD members to do likewise.
Thank you Mr Chairman.
