Remarks by the President of the General Assembly
Mr. Philémon Yang
Fifth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction
Monday, 18 November 2024
[As Delivered]
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The urgency of disarmament in today’s global security landscape cannot be overstated.
The continued existence and spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction pose a severe threat to international peace and security, and the well-being of future generations.
The use of any of these weapons can result in thousands or millions of deaths, long-term environmental damage, and the destabilization of entire regions.
Eliminating these weapons is an imperative, in fact, an urgency of our times.
The Pact for the Future reaffirms this commitment.
It sets a clear goal for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and a world free of chemical and biological weapons.
The Pact also calls specifically for pursuing nuclear-weapon-free zones to enhance international peace and security.
Let us turn these commitments of the Pact into action. We must do so not only for our security but to eliminate the existential threat that weapons of mass destruction pose to humanity.
Excellencies,
Nuclear-weapon-free zones are essential to fulfilling our disarmament commitments.
They reinforce the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, advance nuclear disarmament, and strengthen both regional and international peace and security. Ultimately, they strengthen regional trust and avert tension.
These are the objectives upon which the existing five Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones have been established.
These same objectives remain a strong and valid proposition for the creation of additional zones.
They are a critical part of our shared commitment to peace, security, and the protection of future generations from the catastrophic threat of nuclear war.
Such efforts are especially urgent now in the Middle East, a region burdened by a cycle of recurring conflicts and unabated tension.
Establishing a Zone Free of Nuclear-Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East could be a vital foundation for the region’s long-term security.
General Assembly decision 73/546 of 2018 began an essential process to fulfill the aspiration of Middle Eastern states to ban nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
This goal has become even more urgent amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and the heightened risk of a wider regional conflict.
Excellencies,
The path ahead is challenging, but we must keep moving forward.
I commend the Middle Eastern states for their commitment to cooperation and dialogue in pursuing a zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
Our gathering here today at the Fifth Session is a testament to this commitment.
As President of the General Assembly, I pledge my full support to the Conference.
I urge the participating states to be bold in your deliberations towards the creation of the Middle East zone without further delay.
I also urge states with influence in the region and the international community at large to fully support and encourage a forward-looking outcome your deliberations.
Thank you.
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