Action on all draft resolutions and decisions submitted under disarmament and international security agenda items A/C.1/80/L.1, A/C.1/80/L.2, A/C.1/80/L.3, A/C.1/80/L.4, A/C.1/80/L.5, A/C.1/80/L.6, A/C.1/80/L.7, A/C.1/80/L.8, A/C.1/80/L.10, A/C.1/80/L.11, A/C.1/80/L.12, A/C.1/80/L.13, A/C.1/80/L.14, A/C.1/80/L.15, A/C.1/80/L.16, A/C.1/80/L.17, A/C.1/80/L.18, A/C.1/80/L.20, A/C.1/80/L.21, A/C.1/80/L.22, A/C.1/80/L.23, A/C.1/80/L.24, A/C.1/80/L.25, A/C.1/80/L.26, A/C.1/80/L.27, A/C.1/80/L.28, A/C.1/80/L.29, A/C.1/80/L.30, A/C.1/80/L.31, A/C.1/80/L.32, A/C.1/80/L.33, A/C.1/80/L.34, A/C.1/80/L.35, A/C.1/80/L.36, A/C.1/80/L.37, A/C.1/80/L.38, A/C.1/80/L.39, A/C.1/80/L.40, A/C.1/80/L.41, A/C.1/80/L.42, A/C.1/80/L.43, A/C.1/80/L.44, A/C.1/80/L.45, A/C.1/80/L.46, A/C.1/80/L.47, A/C.1/80/L.48, A/C.1/80/L.49, A/C.1/80/L.50, A/C.1/80/L.52, A/C.1/80/L.53, A/C.1/80/L.56, A/C.1/80/L.57, A/C.1/80/L.58, A/C.1/80/L.63
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka, 🇨🇳 China, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇷🇺 Russian Federation, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇰🇵 Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 🇮🇷 Islamic Republic of Iran
Mr. Chair, actually I requested for right of reply. Oh, sorry, sorry, of Sri Lanka. There was a glitch a minute. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sri Lanka has long recognized outer space as the common heritage of humanity to be preserved, protected, and used for exclusively peaceful purposes. The prevention of the weaponization of outer space is a moral imperative, one that determines whether the skies far above remain a realm of hope, discovery and cooperation, or are instead transformed into another theatre of rivalry and conflict. In this backdrop, Sri Lanka together with Egypt introduced our annual omnibus resolution L3 titled Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space under Item 97A. The resolution stressed that the exploration and use of outer space by all states shall be for peaceful purpose and shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of the degree of economico scientific development. We express appreciation to the delegations that have already co-sponsored this resolution and invite the delegations that have not yet co sponsored to it to consider doing so. We also request the support of member states for this resolution during its consideration to ensure that the outer space remains a domain that unites but not divides. I thank you.
Chair, the Chinese delegation submitted Draft of resolution Errow 3, prevention of an arms race in outer space. Arrow 36, transparency and confidence building measures in outer space activities. Error 37, no first placement of weapons in outer space. Errow 38, further practical measures for the prevention of arms race in outer space. We would like to take this opportunity to elaborate China's position. China always advocates for peaceful use of outer space, opposes weaponization of and arms raising outer space, and actively promotes negotiations on an equally binding treaty for outer space arms control. China supports the CD in fulfilling its role as the sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum and urges for early negotiation and conclusion of international legal instruments and outer space arms control. This is the most fundamental and effective approach to address current outer space security issues. Draft resolutions R 3, 36, 37, and 38 aim to advance the realization of these objectives. China calls upon all parties to support these draft resolutions. Chair, China notes with regret that certain country requested a separate vote on the PP five of draft resolutions L thirty seven and L thirty eight concerning the concept a community of a shared future for humankind. Outer space is a global commons, and a shared asset of humankind. as evidenced by statements made during the general debate and thematic discussions of this session. Maintaining lasting peace and security in outer space and ensuring sustainable development is a shared aspiration of the international community. In the field of outer space, the concept of community of a shared future for humankind represents the interdependence of national interests and a sharing of rights and responsibilities. It advocates for peaceful development over conflict and confrontation, common security over absolute security, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes over zero-sum games. This concept is fully consistent with international consensus on the peaceful use of and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. It should be noted that the term community of a shared future for humankind is neutral in nature. It emphasizes the close interconnection of national interests and a shared destiny of humankind. Although proposed by China, this concept is the result of the wisdom of the broad membership of the UN. It is a public good that enriches and develops the concept of outer space security. It carries no ideological connotations and is a true embodiment of multilateralism highly consistent with the content of the relevant resolutions. China calls upon all parties to vote in favor of PP5 of draft resolutions L 37 and L 38. Thank you, Chair. Yeah.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The delegation of Cuba supports and co-sponsors the draft resolution L3 entitled Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space. L 35 New Practical Measures to Prevent an Arms Race in Outer Space, that is L38. L36, transparency and confidence building measures in outer space activities. And L 37, no first placement of weapons in outer space. We encourage all delegations to support these drafts that have long been considered here. Outer space should be used for exclusively peaceful purposes and should be viewed as common heritage of humankind. Despite the manifold efforts made to prevent an arms race in outer space, we cannot continue to postpone negotiations and the ultimate adoption of a multilateral treaty which is legally binding on that topic. That treaty should include the prohibition of first placement and the use of any weapons such as to complement and strengthen the legal regime applicable to space. Voluntary transparency and confidence building measures are useful. We support them. Alone, however, they are insufficient to prevent an arms race. These measures are not a substitute for legally binding instruments that we need for outer space. We support and champion the policy of no first placement of weapons in outer space, and as such, we do not support any placement of weapons in that milieu under any circumstances. Thank you. Yeah.
Mr. Chairman, as a responsible participant in outer space activities and the author of initiatives seeking to prevent an arms race in outer space, Paros, Russian Federation substantially contributes to preserving outer space free from weapons, and we've contributed to preventing its transformation into another sphere of tensions and armed Confrontation two. Our principled position here remains ironclad, and sh achievement of this aim is possible only through development of a multilateral legally binding instrument that would be comprehensive and would seek to prevent an arms race in outer space. Guided by this goal, Russia has submitted to the first committee of the UN General Assembly three direct resolutions. Further practical measures for preventing an arms race in outer space, L38, transparency and confidence building measures in outer space activities, L36, no first placement of weapons in outer space, L37. All three of these documents are grounded in analogous UNGA resolutions from previous years that garnered the absolute majority, uh garnered the support of the absolute majority of UN member states, and they're intended to promote a key task: development of a multilateral, legally binding instrument prohibiting the deployment of weapons in outer space and the use or threat of force against outer space objects or using outer space objects in line with the special session on disarmament of 1978. Russia's space drafts welcome the contribution of the GGE on Pyros to efforts on this track, and they also welcome the adoption by consensus of the report of this group, which serves as a basis for further measures and negotiations on international legally binding on an international legally binding instrument on Pyros, including the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space. In various forms, we have considered in the draft resolutions all the wishes of delegations. The documents have been updated given the recent achievements in outer space. Specifically, all three UNGA draft resolutions note the establishment pursuant to UNGA resolution 79512 of a open-ended working group, and they note the holding of meetings of this OEWG, and they also welcome by uh the adoption by consensus of the agenda and the uh program of work for 2025 and 2028, and also the beginning of substantive discussions. The draft resolution on TCBMs also calls for convening at the 81st session of the UNGA, a joint half day discussions forum with participation by representatives of the Disarmament and International Security Committee, that's the first committee, and the Committee on Special and Special Political and Decolonization Affairs, the fourth committee, to consider possible problems which might pose a threat to security and sustainability in outer space. This uh situation, uh rather, this provision is included in this resolution every two years. We urge all delegations to support Russia's draft resolutions on space. In so doing, we call upon them to choose to keep outer space exclusively free for peaceful use and to lay the ground for non-discriminatory access to outer space benefits and technologies and to use them for sustainable development. Distinguished Chair, in closing, the Russian Federation would like to express its disappointment. This is due to the putting for a vote. Draft Resolutions L3 on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space and Draft Resolution L36, Transparency and Confidence Building Measures in Outer Space. Both of these drafts for many years were adopted by the first committee of the UN General Assembly in their entirety without a vote. We see the departure from the consensus as regards these draft resolutions as a step backward in terms of preventing an arms race in outer space. This uh cannot but elicit the regret on the part of uh the regret of our delegation, and I hope that all of the other delegations also experience regret at this. Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Chair. In the evo we just made, the US delegation continued to distort and discredit China's nuclear policy and modernization of our national defense forces, which the Chinese delegation resolutely rejects. So we have no choice but to exercise our right of reply. China wishes to reiterate that its nuclear policy and intentions are very clear and remain highly stable, continuous, and predictable. China is the only nuclear weapon state that pursues a policy of no further use of nuclear weapons, advocates that nuclear weapons should not be used and nuclear wars should not be fought. We pursue unconditional negative security assurance policy, and we have not and will not engage in any forms of arms race in the past or in the future. China will continue to actively support and participate in international arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation process. At the same time, we wish to emphasize that bilateral dialogue must be based on respect for each other's interests and concerns. The U.S. should adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude, meet China halfway, take practical actions to create national conditions and atmosphere for the dialogue, instead of provoking China on issues related to China's core interests while requesting China to engage in dialogues. The US, as one of the two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals, has turned a blind eye to the international consensus on nuclear disarmament and together with certain countries, hyped a fabricated narrative of so-called three states with the largest nuclear arsenals. China formally opposes this very responsible approach, which completely contradicts the facts. Chinese nuclear forces are not in the same league with the two largest nuclear weapon states, which possesses more than 90% of the world's nuclear weapons, and it is unfair, unreasonable, and infeasible to ask China to participate in trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. China will continue to actively participate in international nuclear disarmament efforts, but will not agree to or accept any coercion. China wishes to remind the U.S. delegation that it is the United States that has invested trillions of dollars in recent years in upgrading its nuclear triad, vigorously developing new hot types of nuclear weapons and lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. It is the United States has continued to undermine the international arms treaty control system over the years by withdrawing from the ABM and IMF treaty and other legal instruments of armed control and delaying the negotiation negotiation on the extension of the new STARTS Treaty and have repeatedly made irresponsible nuclear related statements. It is the United States has deployed nuclear weapons award, enhances extended deterrence and attempts to replicate the nuclear sharing arrangement in Asia Pacific region, engaging cooperation on nuclear submarine involving the transfer of weapon-grade nuclear materials to non nuclear weapon states, continues to push for deployment of global anti missile systems and deploys land based IRMs, undermining regional and global strategic balance and stability. We urge the United States to do some soul searching and self reflection instead of blaming China and diverting international attention. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chairman, we flatly reject the baseless allegations leveled by Western countries in terms of the implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Russian Federation is a responsible party to this convention, and we are fully abiding by the commitments we've taken on here. In this context, we reaffirm that chemical means, uh, chemical riot control uh efforts are not in the Russian Armed Forces. Their use is not in keeping with the tasks set in hostilities. However, we wish to note the growing number of provocations with the use of toxic chemicals. These are organized by the special services of Ukraine and they're receiving support from abroad. This is possible due to the broad access by Ukrainian armed groups of uh Special chemicals that were produced both in uh Ukraine and they've been used in Ukraine and in the Donetsk and Lugansk territories of the Russian Federation and in the temporarily controlled areas of uh Kursk Oblast in the Russian Federation. I want to recall that the Russian Federation regularly provides to the OPCW uh and to the UN Security Council information uh uh that is technically and scientifically backed up and which shows the systematic use by Ukrainian regime armed groups against Russian soldiers and against civilians of toxic chemicals and also chemical riot control agents. We will continue to document these crimes, our end goal being to hold to account their perpetrators and those who aid and abet them. Mr. Chairman, the Russian Federation also rejects all of the empty and baseless insinuations that we've heard about the outer space activities of our country. The activities of our country in exploration and use of outer space are carried out in accordance with our international commitments and exclusively for peaceful purposes. They do not threaten the activities of any state other states in outer space. We strictly abide by the nineteen sixty seven outer space treaty, which is the cornerstone of international outer space law. And we also adhere to other agreements in this realm. Article four of the Outer Space Treaty clearly bans the launching into near Earth orbit of any nuclear weapons or any other types of WMDs. It establishing and deploying this sort of weapon in outer space in any and i in any other way is also banned under the treaty, and we are stringently abiding by this provision. No confirmation, including at the level of the UN Security Council, is required by the Outer Space Treaty. And the there should be no direct or indirect revision of the outer space treaty or any other outer space agreements. Absurd the these absurd conjectures that are completely unmoored from reality are part of a propaganda campaign seeking to discredit the outer space activities of Russia and its initiative to refrain from the first placement of weapons in outer space. Our country, for many years. has substantially contributed to keeping outer space free from weapons of any type. And we've contributed to the prevention of its transforming into yet another arena for tensions and armed conflict. It was Russia that insisted that the member states of the UN adopt binding commitments not to deploy any type of weapons in outer space and to refrain from the use or threat of force against outer space assets or using those assets. We call for a comprehensive ban on space based strike weapons that are intended to strike outer space assets. I thank you.
Thanks, Chair. My delegation is compelled to take the floor in response to the remarks of some delegations who is still talking about the denuclearization of the DPRK in the last session of Cluster 1. As we clarified, DPRK's position of the nuclear weapons is totally self defensive deterrents aimed at safeguarding the right sovereignty and the rights to existence and development. From general debate to thematic discussions of this committee, DPRK delegation clarified our stand towards the so-called denuclearization of the DPRK several times, and we uploaded our statements on the UN Journal. So we recommend those member states who are still arguing and dreaming about the denuclearization to read them again and study carefully. We will show with patience that denuclearization is a pipe dream. which can never be realized, even they talk about it thousand times. I thank you, mister J.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My delegation categorically rejects and strongly condemns the fabrications and absurd accusations made by representatives of the Israeli regime. A regime that for more than seven decades has been engaged in systematic crimes. Terrorism and genocide in Palestine and across the region, with its hands stained by the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. If there is any entity in our region that has both the capacity and proven willingness to produce and use weapons of mass destruction, chemical, biological, and nuclear, it is none other than the Israeli regime. This is the only regime in the region that illegally possesses all types of WMDs and remains outside all international instruments on the prohibition of weapons of mass destruction. And the reason is clear. This is a regime that has even weaponized the most basic necessities of life, water and food, as tools of war and oppression. There is credible and documented evidence of the use of prohibited munitions, including white phosphorus and depleted uranium. Unifel itself has confirmed that its personnel were injured by such weapons in Lebanon, as similar reports have emerged from Gaza. Moreover, it is both ironic and outrageous that a regime which has not acceded to any of the international instruments prohibiting weapons of mass destruction dares to level accusations against a state like Iran, a responsible party to all these conventions, fully and transparently committed to its international obligations. The world knows well who possess clandestine nuclear arsenals, who stands outside the legal framework of disarmament and non proliferation treaties, and who has turned defiance of international law into a permanent policy. The real and present threat to regional and global peace and security emanates not from those who uphold their legal obligations, but from those who systematically violate them. I thank you, Mr. Chair.
Verbatim from the transcript. A reply is identified from its own words, the Chair's grant, or its place in the right-of-reply sequence; delegations and addressees follow the transcript's attribution.