UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST COMMITTEE GENERAL DEBATE STATEMENT, 2024
STATEMENT BY H.E. MS AMANDA GORELY AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT IN GENEVA
10 October 2024
Thank you Chair. Congratulations on Costa Rica’s election. You have my delegation’s full support.
The world is experiencing more conflict than any time since World War Two. Geopolitical tensions are rising.
Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.
The dangerous escalation in the Middle East.
And in our own region, the Indo-Pacific, we are witnessing unprecedented military build-up, yet transparency and strategic reassurance are lacking.
Against this backdrop, the work of the United Nations and this committee takes on even greater importance.
It is integral to developing and upholding vital standards and rules that protect the world’s peoples and advance the cause of peace.
At the heart of these rules is the UN Charter which flows through the many multilateral treaties, international organisations and resolutions that guide state behaviour.
However, as Australia’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly last month, “these rules are being blurred, undermined, and at times, blatantly violated.
We must rally to defend these rules that protect all of us; these rules that form the character of the world that we want.”
Chair
Developing and upholding the rules and norms to control and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons is a top priority for Australia and core business for this committee.
Indeed, the first ever UNGA resolution was a result of this committee’s work on nuclear issues.
Unfortunately, this work is not complete.
And in some instances, we are going backwards.
This year we saw Russia block the renewal of the mandate of the Security Council’s Panel of Experts on the DPRK after fourteen years of unanimous support.
The DPRK continues its unlawful activities with impunity, conducting illegal arms transfers to Russia and posing a threat to global peace and security with its illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons.
And Iran’s continued failure to resolve outstanding NPT safeguards issues in a full and technically credible manner casts doubt on the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program.
Chair
Australia has an enduring commitment to the objective of a world without nuclear weapons. This is underpinned by our solemn recognition of the devastating humanitarian consequences of nuclear war.
Important work to raise awareness about this issue takes place in this committee and through the ongoing dedicated work by civil society organisations around the world.
It is the dark prospect of nuclear war that drives Australia’s efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict, while contributing to deterrence, so that no country concludes that the benefits of war outweigh the risks.
We are gravely concerned by the reemergence of nuclear threats to coerce others and attempts to erode important rules and norms.
Australia condemns unequivocally Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine and its repeated nuclear threats in that context.
Chair
Of the international rules and norms that contribute to international security, few are as important as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
The NPT is critical to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and provides the framework for progress on disarmament.
Australia will continue to work constructively with our partners in the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative and other states to strengthen the implementation of the Treaty, including by promoting greater transparency and accountability by all Nuclear Weapon States, not just some.
Reducing nuclear risks will assist in advancing nuclear disarmament.
Chair
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty stands out as our collective and achievable commitment to a permanent end to the dangers and destructive legacy of explosive nuclear testing.
The impacts of nuclear testing have been experienced by Australia and throughout the Pacific. We welcome recent progress towards universalisation of the CTBT and the greater focus on the nuclear testing legacy.
It is absolutely clear that, combined with the CTBT, a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons will drastically limit nuclear arsenals, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Australia was proud to join Japan and other states in September to establish a FMCT Group of Friends to push for this objective.
Chair
International rules and norms have been vital in reducing the threat posed by biological and chemical weapons.
Australia is proud to Chair the Australia Group to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and promote legitimate chemical and biological trade.
Effective export controls systems prevent WMD proliferation and facilitate legitimate trade.
The Chemical Weapons Convention has helped to rid the world of chemical weapons. But we have seen the reemergence of chemical weapon use.
We must all work together to ensure that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons can respond effectively to chemical weapon threats.
As biological threats evolve, we must seize the opportunity presented by the Working Group on Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention to break the stalemate of the last two decades and strengthen implementation of this vital treaty.
Chair
Conventional weapons contribute daily to human death and suffering in both civil and conflict settings, across all regions, and their challenges demand the international community’s focussed attention.
While states have a legitimate right to acquire and use conventional weapons for self-defence, the methods and means of use are not unlimited.
Consensus outcomes delivered at major meetings arms regulation this year demonstrate international resolve on this issue.
It is also critical that new and emerging technology is used responsibly.
That’s why Australia was pleased to join over 60 states to support the Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain Blue Print for Action adopted at the REAIM Summit last month in Seoul.
Its why we constructively engage in the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons and support it fulfilling its mandate. We welcome the GGE Chair’s efforts to further enhance the inclusivity of the process.
Australia wants to strengthen international rules and norms on space, including by encouraging adherence to the Outer Space Treaty, and by advancing efforts on responsible space behaviours to reduce the risk of conflict.
We remain firmly committed to promoting peace and security in cyberspace throughout the transition to a future permanent mechanism within the UN architecture.
We support efforts undertaken so far to agree many elements of the future mechanism, and remain confident a consensus single-track process is achievable.
To respond to the evolving challenges of the international security environment, inclusivity and diversity are vital.
We continue to champion the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of people of all genders in international security forums and organisations.
Chair
This Committee has much work to do. But it is incumbent on us to rise to these pressing challenges.
My delegation looks forward to working constructively over the coming weeks to do just that.
Thank you