Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh delivered a statement at a meeting ofthe Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland, on February26.
Following is the full text of his statement.
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am privileged to address the Conference on Disarmament today. Thishistoric room has witnessed the signing of many peace agreements,including the Geneva Accords on ending hostilities and restoring peacein Indonesia in 1954. These peace agreements helped bring aboutpeace to many nations around the world.
On this occasion, Iwould like to congratulate His Excellency, Ambassador Sujata Mehta,Permanent Representative of India on his assumption of thePresidency. I believe that the efforts made by Madam. President andother participants will help break the deadlock for substantivediscussions.
Mr. President,
Since its first participation in the Conference’s meetings in 1983 andits becoming full member of the Conference in 1996, Vietnam hasalways attached great importance to the Conference on Disarmament as thesole global forum responsible for the discussions and negotiations oninternational disarmament treaties. It was right here that the mostimportant disarmament treaties came into being, such as theNon-Proliferation Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention, theChemical Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, etc.
Given those achievements, the international community cannot helpexpecting new breakthroughs in the Conference, which would contribute tothe strengthening of peace, security and stability in the world. Inthis year 2013, there are many expectations:
1.The Sixty-Seventh Session of the United Nations adopted tworesolutions providing for discussion mechanisms on topics of greatinterest in CD in recent years, namely nuclear disarmament and theFissile Material Cut-off Treaty. Vietnam is of the views that thesediscussions can contribute to the consolidation of broader consensus onthese issues. The Conference on Disarmament must play an important rolein this process.
2. The April ReviewConference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, a major success of theConference on Disarmament, provides us an opportunity to affirm the roleof the Conference on Disarmament in developing such treaties.
3. The Second Session of the Preparatory Committee of the2015 NPT Review Conference scheduled in May 2013 in Geneva offers usanother opportunity to take stock of the implementation of the outcomesof the 2010 Review Conference, while charting out the concrete goalsand actions for the 2015 Review Conference.
4.The UNGA high-level meeting on nuclear disarmament scheduled inSeptember provides a good opportunity for states to discuss and manifesttheir political will at high level in search for solutions to thechallenges in disarmament, particular in nuclear disarmament.
5. It is regrettable that the Conference on NuclearWeapons-Free Middle East could not take place as scheduled in 2012. Itis important that we should strive for an early convening of theConference, thus contributing to the joint efforts in the field ofdisarmament.
It is imperative that we meet theseexpectations. We need to redouble our efforts to overcome differences insecurity priorities and approaches to disarmament of each country with aview to reaching solutions to substantive issues and meeting the demandof the international community. As was urged by UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-Moon in his message to our Conference earlier this year, wecannot afford to waste another year.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Once victimized by wars and still struggling to overcome theirconsequences, Vietnam ’s consistent policy is to uphold peace, opposewar and support all efforts for disarmament, especially the disarmamentof nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, in accordance withthe UN Charter and international law.
Vietnam’scommitments to peace and disarmament are clearly and consistentlymanifested in its diverse bilateral relations with other UN members, aswell as in its concrete contributions at multilateral fora, regional andinternational cooperation mechanisms, such as the South East AsianNuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), or at disarmament mechanismswithin regional and international forums, particularly the UN SecurityCouncil, where Vietnam was a non-permanent member in 2008-2009. As a CDmember, Vietnam has acceded to or ratified all disarmament treatiesnegotiated and adopted by the CD.
As an activemember of the CD and one of its Presidents in 2009, Vietnam alwaysgives full support and makes contributions to the work of the CD. We areaware of the challenges facing the CD in reaffirming its role andcredibility, and share the common concern and interest of other memberslong deadlock. Failure to overcome this will erode the internationalcommunity’s confidence and the cooperation good will of countries withinthe CD and in the domain of disarmament at large.
Iam pleased that the CD has approved its agenda for 2013, and believethat an early endorsement and implementation of a balanced andcomprehensive programme of work is the only way to break the deadlock.To this end, the CD members are called upon to display more good will,greater flexibility and constructive cooperation to work out a solutionthat may satisfy the interests of all stakeholders, while maintainingand promoting the fundamental principles that made the CD’s successesover the past decades, including the principle of consensus.
[Currently, the CD consists of 67 members representing almost allregions and groups of countries with diverse levels of development. Inaddition, there has been increasing interest from and active engagementof non-member states as reflected in the expanding number of observes.Therefore, CD’s membership enlargement is an emerging issue that isbecoming inevitable. However, as all efforts are currently focused onovercoming the CD’s deadlock and reasserting its role and status, weneed to thoroughly discuss and consider the enlargement’s impact on thework of the CD, while respecting the legitimate desire of the candidatecountries.
Mr. President,
Inconclusion, I wish to reiterate the strong commitments of theGovernment of Vietnam to supporting all efforts for general and completedisarmament. Vietnam stands ready to collaborate with all memberstates to work out a solution helping the CD produce positive results.We welcome and will actively engage in the deliberations for initiativesaimed to promote the CD’s work.
Thank you.-VNA
Following is the full text of his statement.
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am privileged to address the Conference on Disarmament today. Thishistoric room has witnessed the signing of many peace agreements,including the Geneva Accords on ending hostilities and restoring peacein Indonesia in 1954. These peace agreements helped bring aboutpeace to many nations around the world.
On this occasion, Iwould like to congratulate His Excellency, Ambassador Sujata Mehta,Permanent Representative of India on his assumption of thePresidency. I believe that the efforts made by Madam. President andother participants will help break the deadlock for substantivediscussions.
Mr. President,
Since its first participation in the Conference’s meetings in 1983 andits becoming full member of the Conference in 1996, Vietnam hasalways attached great importance to the Conference on Disarmament as thesole global forum responsible for the discussions and negotiations oninternational disarmament treaties. It was right here that the mostimportant disarmament treaties came into being, such as theNon-Proliferation Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention, theChemical Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, etc.
Given those achievements, the international community cannot helpexpecting new breakthroughs in the Conference, which would contribute tothe strengthening of peace, security and stability in the world. Inthis year 2013, there are many expectations:
1.The Sixty-Seventh Session of the United Nations adopted tworesolutions providing for discussion mechanisms on topics of greatinterest in CD in recent years, namely nuclear disarmament and theFissile Material Cut-off Treaty. Vietnam is of the views that thesediscussions can contribute to the consolidation of broader consensus onthese issues. The Conference on Disarmament must play an important rolein this process.
2. The April ReviewConference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, a major success of theConference on Disarmament, provides us an opportunity to affirm the roleof the Conference on Disarmament in developing such treaties.
3. The Second Session of the Preparatory Committee of the2015 NPT Review Conference scheduled in May 2013 in Geneva offers usanother opportunity to take stock of the implementation of the outcomesof the 2010 Review Conference, while charting out the concrete goalsand actions for the 2015 Review Conference.
4.The UNGA high-level meeting on nuclear disarmament scheduled inSeptember provides a good opportunity for states to discuss and manifesttheir political will at high level in search for solutions to thechallenges in disarmament, particular in nuclear disarmament.
5. It is regrettable that the Conference on NuclearWeapons-Free Middle East could not take place as scheduled in 2012. Itis important that we should strive for an early convening of theConference, thus contributing to the joint efforts in the field ofdisarmament.
It is imperative that we meet theseexpectations. We need to redouble our efforts to overcome differences insecurity priorities and approaches to disarmament of each country with aview to reaching solutions to substantive issues and meeting the demandof the international community. As was urged by UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-Moon in his message to our Conference earlier this year, wecannot afford to waste another year.
Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Once victimized by wars and still struggling to overcome theirconsequences, Vietnam ’s consistent policy is to uphold peace, opposewar and support all efforts for disarmament, especially the disarmamentof nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, in accordance withthe UN Charter and international law.
Vietnam’scommitments to peace and disarmament are clearly and consistentlymanifested in its diverse bilateral relations with other UN members, aswell as in its concrete contributions at multilateral fora, regional andinternational cooperation mechanisms, such as the South East AsianNuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), or at disarmament mechanismswithin regional and international forums, particularly the UN SecurityCouncil, where Vietnam was a non-permanent member in 2008-2009. As a CDmember, Vietnam has acceded to or ratified all disarmament treatiesnegotiated and adopted by the CD.
As an activemember of the CD and one of its Presidents in 2009, Vietnam alwaysgives full support and makes contributions to the work of the CD. We areaware of the challenges facing the CD in reaffirming its role andcredibility, and share the common concern and interest of other memberslong deadlock. Failure to overcome this will erode the internationalcommunity’s confidence and the cooperation good will of countries withinthe CD and in the domain of disarmament at large.
Iam pleased that the CD has approved its agenda for 2013, and believethat an early endorsement and implementation of a balanced andcomprehensive programme of work is the only way to break the deadlock.To this end, the CD members are called upon to display more good will,greater flexibility and constructive cooperation to work out a solutionthat may satisfy the interests of all stakeholders, while maintainingand promoting the fundamental principles that made the CD’s successesover the past decades, including the principle of consensus.
[Currently, the CD consists of 67 members representing almost allregions and groups of countries with diverse levels of development. Inaddition, there has been increasing interest from and active engagementof non-member states as reflected in the expanding number of observes.Therefore, CD’s membership enlargement is an emerging issue that isbecoming inevitable. However, as all efforts are currently focused onovercoming the CD’s deadlock and reasserting its role and status, weneed to thoroughly discuss and consider the enlargement’s impact on thework of the CD, while respecting the legitimate desire of the candidatecountries.
Mr. President,
Inconclusion, I wish to reiterate the strong commitments of theGovernment of Vietnam to supporting all efforts for general and completedisarmament. Vietnam stands ready to collaborate with all memberstates to work out a solution helping the CD produce positive results.We welcome and will actively engage in the deliberations for initiativesaimed to promote the CD’s work.
Thank you.-VNA
