Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Mr President, new co-presidents Norway and Panama, Executive Secretary Robert Floyd, with thanks to exiting co-presidents Italy and South Africa.
Tena koutou katoa.
The achievement of a world free of nuclear weapons is one of the core, long-standing tenets of New Zealand’s foreign policy reflected in our unwavering support for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and our status as a founding member of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. A complete ban on nuclear weapons testing is one of the key steps to achieving such a world, making the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty a critical component of global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. New Zealand continues to hold that the Treaty’s entry-into-force would represent a vital boost to those efforts, particularly at a time when the threat posed by nuclear weapons is rising.
Central to the effectiveness of the norm against nuclear testing is universalisation of the CTBT. In this regard, we commend the diligent efforts of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation under the leadership of Executive Secretary Robert Floyd. These efforts have borne significant fruit. Since the twelfth Article XIV Conference in 2021, we have seen a further eight countries ratify the Treaty, including Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu. New Zealand will continue to advocate Treaty universalisation, particularly in our own South Pacific region.
While efforts to progress the CTBT’s universalisation since the last Article XIV Conference have been fruitful and encouraging, there is still much work to be done. Once again, New Zealand urges all states, and in particular the remaining eight Annex II states, to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible.
Another way in which the CTBTO has sought to advance Treaty universalisation is through the provision of technical capacity building in nuclear non-proliferation and detection to states around the world. New Zealand was pleased to support these efforts by way of a voluntary contribution this year to the Organisation’s Technical Experts Support Programme.
New Zealand also welcomes the ongoing strengthening of the Treaty’s verification regime, particularly the International Monitoring System. The System has not only given the international community confidence regarding the accurate detection of nuclear testing, but it has also made effective contributions to tsunami warning systems, including in our own Pacific region.
The integrity of the Treaty’s verification regime has been jeopardised by Russia’s illegal and unjustified war on Ukraine, which has put at risk Ukraine’s certified IMS seismic station. Our thoughts remain with the Ukrainian people, who continue to be severely impacted by the hardships of the war.
New Zealand also remains deeply concerned by North Korea’s provocative and destabilising behaviour in connection with its ongoing efforts to advance its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. We urge North Korea to refrain from conducting any further tests, and to heed long-standing international calls to return to diplomacy.
Finally, New Zealand calls for the widest support among member states for the General Assembly’s resolution on the CTBT. This resolution will be tabled at the forthcoming session and recognises the Treaty as a fundamental instrument in the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Thank you.