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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi delivered a speech to the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament, held in Geneva on February 24. What follows is the text of his statement: In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Thank you, Madam. President, It is an honor to speak on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the Conference on Disarmament’s High-Level Segment, and I congratulate you and Japan for assuming the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament.
The threatening spread of armed conflicts against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions is plaguing our world into further turbulence. Regrettably, we are witnessing increasing resort to the use or threat of force, military interventions, unilateral coercive measures, and political pressure, in disregard to the longstanding commitments to disarmament and arms control. This is an alarming trend that must be reversed immediately.
In practical terms, the current state of international peace and security reflects a complex and fragile global landscape marked by rising geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, the qualitative and quantitative proliferation by certain nuclear weapon States, and the persistent threat of the use of nuclear weapons. Global military spending has reached unprecedented levels, underscoring the growing militarization of international relations. At the same time, nuclear arsenals remain significant, with over 12000 nuclear weapons in the stockpiles.
In this context, the destruction inflicted by the Israeli regime in the occupied Palestinian territory represents the most horrifying recorded case of aggression, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in the 21st century, which no human conscience should tolerate. The Israeli regime has unleashed an unparalleled degree of suffering and untold sorrow which the UN Charter was meant to prevent. This illegal war has ruined Gaza and over 46000, mostly children, women, and elderly have lost their lives.
Never ever, such high numbers of journalists, health workers, and UN staff were killed in an armed conflict. The deliberate war crimes, ethnic cleansing, mass starvation, and collective punishment exercised by the Israeli regime shall not remain unpunished. Madam President, These days’ concern about threats that "multilateralism" is facing, seems to be now one of the most frequent issues raised by many around the world but still, it appears to be far from understanding of many nations how big the threat of unilateralism is and how adversely it is affecting our daily lives.
We need to realize the dangerous consequences of unilateralism for international peace and security and should not let it become normalized. The UN was established to save the succeeding generations from the war. In so doing, the UN founders committed themselves to a set of high principles and purposes that could only be safeguarded and promoted through collective cooperation and collaboration.
Unilateralism, indeed is terminology, for lawlessness and extreme resort to power which pose a serious threat to international peace and security. Despite the increasing likelihood of a nuclear war -driven mainly by modernization efforts and an escalating nuclear arms race, nuclear-weapon States, in particular the United States, are significantly increasing their budgets for nuclear weapons programs. Simultaneously, countries like the United Kingdom are expanding their nuclear stockpiles and lowering the threshold for possible nuclear weapon use.
To exacerbate the current state of affairs, in addition to the erosion of key nuclear arms control agreements, there is widespread non-compliance with legally binding obligations related to nuclear disarmament, particularly under Article VI of the NPT and their commitments under the Treaty's 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences. Regrettably, there is no promising prospect for change in the foreseeable future. The international community rightfully expects the nuclear-weapon States to be held accountable for their obligations.
In the wake of the failures of the 2015 and 2022 NPT Review Conferences, the success of the next Conference hinges upon the political will of the nuclear-weapon States. Nuclear weapons continue to be an existential threat to humanity. Their use would result in catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences.
Therefore, nuclear disarmament must be accorded the highest priority of the United Nations, as agreed in the first United Nations Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD-I). To this end, the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons must remain a taboo. The only guaranteed safeguard against their use or threat lies in their complete and verifiable elimination, accompanied by legally binding assurances of non-production, avoidance of nuclear sharing, as well as non-formation of nuclear military alliances.
It is worth mentioning that notions such as "nuclear risk reduction" or similar initiatives should not serve as an excuse to delay or substitute the fulfillment of absolute legal obligations. At a regional level, the weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons possessed by the Israeli regime continue to pose a grave threat to regional and global peace and security. It obstructs the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East initiated by Iran in 1974 and continues to threaten others with nuclear annihilation.
A vivid example of this regime’s outlawed action was the evil suggestion of using nuclear weapons against the people in Gaza, claimed by several Israeli authorities. We categorically condemn this illegitimate, illegal, and irresponsible action and position. The international community must hold this regime accountable, demanding that it renounce the possession of nuclear weapons, accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon party, and subject all its nuclear facilities and activities to the comprehensive IAEA safeguards.
Undoubtedly, the same strong attention is needed towards chemical and biological weapons. It is noteworthy to add that we are concerned about the threat posed by the use of these two types of weapons by terrorists or the Israeli regime, which is not a Party to either of the Conventions. Furthermore, we must not overlook the perils posed by new technologies, as these have the potential to disrupt global stability and security.
As some have weaponized outer space and cyberspace, we reiterate our steadfast position on their exclusively peaceful use. Legally binding instruments must be established to ensure their exclusive dedication to peaceful purposes. In addition, any attempts to interpret or impose unilateral coercive measures that infringe on the inalienable rights of states in these domains must be avoided.
Iran remains fully committed to implementing its international commitments. Last year, our presidency of the Conference on Disarmament, in collaboration with member states, did help overcome the chronic impasse on the Program of Work through new ideas. At the beginning of this year, I was delighted to see the extent of fruitful collaboration among the member states, and I hope this cooperation will lead the CD to a long-overdue successful step.
Madam President, The world stands at a critical juncture where peace, disarmament, and international cooperation must prevail over the destructive forces of armed violence and the proliferation of WMDs. In this context, achieving meaningful progress in international peace and security requires balancing national interests with collective responsibilities. Iran’s participation in global non-proliferation efforts hinges on addressing its legitimate security concerns while ensuring compliance with its international commitments.
We call upon the international community to unite in a collective effort to ensure a safer world, and we are ready to play our constructive role in achieving this lofty goal. We owe this to our future generations. I thank you, Madam President.
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