EU Presidency Statement - Disarmament Machinery

Statement by H.E. Mr. Kari Kahiluoto, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Finland to the Conference on Disarmament, on behalf of the European Union, UN 61st Session; First Committee, Thematic Discussion: Disarmament Machinery, New York

Madam Chair,

1. I am speaking on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

Madam Chair,

2. As a firm supporter of effective multilateralism the European Union attaches great importance to a working disarmament machinery. The EU sees as mutually reinforcing the UNGA and its First Committee, the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC), and the various international treaties with their bodies and review processes. This disarmament machinery has played a fundamental role in producing vital pieces of international law as well as in creating mechanisms to monitor the implementation and respect of the treaties and norms. Each part of the machinery has its own role and tasks, with its own added value which should be used to the maximum, thus paving the way for decisions that make the world a safer place for all of our citizens.

3. The UNGA with its Committees forms a universal decision-making forum, and as such must reflect the most pressing contemporary challenges in their work. The Committees also need to be able to respond to the growing interconnectedness of the issues before the General Assembly. The EU has been very committed to revitalisation of the First Committee. The EU welcomes the progress made on this matter with the principles agreed at UNGA-58 and UNGA-59 and joins those stressing the importance of implementation these principles. There remains work to be done to this end, and the issue needs to be kept under regular review. We would like to offer you, Madam Chair, as well as the UNDDA secretariat, our thanks and encouragement for your efforts on this issue.

4. The CD is the single multilateral forum at the disposal of the international community for disarmament negotiations. For a decade, the lack of shared analysis of threats and challenges to the maintenance of international peace and security has kept the CD from conducting substantive negotiation work. However, this year has been different from the previous years in the CD as a new momentum has been developing as a result of the innovative initiative of the six Presidents of the CD this year. The EU warmly welcomes the revitalization developments in the CD this year that is agreement on a schedule of activities, focussed structured debates, valuable work done by the Friends of Presidents, and proposals made for future work of the CD, which have led to an increase of its level of activities. We sincerely hope that the focussed structured debates the CD has had this year will create a sufficient momentum to overcome the current deadlock and bring that august body back to substantive negotiation work.

5. The UNDC also has an important role to play as a universal deliberative body on disarmament. The EU welcomes the agreement on its agenda and subsequent resumption of its work this year, after several years of inactivity. The objective of the EU is that the UNDC agrees on "Recommendations for achieving the objectives of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons" and "Practical Confidence Building Measures in the Field of Conventional Arms" in accordance with the agenda items of the UNDC current three-year cycle. The EU wishes to see the full potential of the UNDC being taken into use, now that it has resumed work, and the effectiveness of the UNDC's working methods being enhanced.

Madam Chair,

6. While there is room for further improvements, this machinery continues to have the basic potential to fulfil its functions. Naturally, the secretariat servicing this machinery, the UNDDA, needs to be adequately resourced to do the everyday practical work. This year has brought along some constructive and promising discussions, and we should use the momentum to build on that. At the end, what is essential for any machinery of this kind to work is the political will to use it in good faith, and to comply fully with the obligations and commitments produced.

Thank you, Madam Chair.


* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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• EU Presidency Statement - United Nations: Disarmament Commission (9/4/2007)
• EU Presidency Statement - Fourth Disarmament Decade (30/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Effects of Atomic Radiation (26/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Explanation of Vote on the Draft Resolution on "Risk of Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East" (23/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Explanation of Vote on the Draft Resolution on "Missiles" (23/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Draft Resolution on "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction" (23/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - First Committee: General Debate (2/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Conference on Disarmament (7/7/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - UN Disarmament Commission (10/4/2006)