The Minister for Europe, , delivered the UK National
Statement at the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Thank you Mr President,
Mr Tochytskyi,
We salute you, we salute the Ukrainian people as you stand up
against aggression and oppression.
This Tenth Review Conference is long overdue, so I am pleased
that we have finally come together to advance this vital work.
The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to fulfilling its
obligations under the Treaty.
That includes Article Six, and our ultimate goal of a world
without nuclear weapons.
This Treaty is the only route to that goal.
Let me reaffirm the UK’s unequivocal undertaking to achieve the
total elimination of our nuclear arsenal, alongside the other
Nuclear Weapon States.
Our National Report, published last November, outlines what we
have done to implement the Treaty since 2015.
It demonstrates that we take our responsibilities as a Nuclear
Weapon State seriously, and that we are committed to transparency
and accountability.
Since the Cold War, the UK has dramatically reduced the number of
its nuclear weapons, while de-targeting and de-alerting those
that remain.
We are the only Nuclear Weapon State to have decreased our
deterrent capability to a single delivery system. Indeed, ours is
the smallest stockpile of any recognised nuclear state.
The UK will continue to play a leading role in disarmament by
pioneering verification work, championing transparency and
advancing risk reduction.
We will carry on pressing for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
to enter into force and for negotiations on a Fissile Material
Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament.
But as you all know, we have to acknowledge the growing
challenges to international security.
Last year, the UK published our Integrated Review of Security,
Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.
It described a deteriorating global security environment,
increased competition, technological disruption and challenges to
the international order.
Since then of course, we have witnessed Russia’s unprovoked and
premeditated assault on Ukraine, a sovereign, democratic,
non-nuclear weapon state.
The United Kingdom continues to stand with Ukraine.
Russia’s actions and irresponsible rhetoric raise questions about
its commitment to international law and the fulfilment of its
obligations, not lease those under the Treaty.
Meanwhile, we are deeply concerned that Iran and the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea continue to escalate their nuclear
programmes despite calls to engage in diplomacy.
Today, we issued a joint Ministerial Statement with France and
the US. This reaffirmed our January statement, made, you’ll all
remember, with the other nuclear weapon states, on
preventing nuclear war. We also repeated our commitment to honour
our national security assurances when given.
We will work with all States Parties to reduce the risk of
nuclear conflict and enhance mutual trust.
Much of the Treaty’s success in curtailing the nuclear arms race
is due to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s safeguards
regime.
The UK will continue to champion this regime and indeed, the
Agency, while working to enhance nuclear security by ratifying
key conventions.
We remain committed to nuclear weapon-free zones. We have signed
and ratified the Protocols for Latin America and the Caribbean,
the South Pacific, Africa, and Central Asia. We stand ready
to do so for South East Asia as soon as possible.
As co-sponsor of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East, we
remain committed to a zone free of weapons of mass destruction
and their means of delivery, based on freely-made agreements by
all the countries of the region.
The Non-Proliferation Treaty provides the framework for the safe,
secure, and safeguarded transfer of peaceful nuclear
technologies.
These technologies have the potential to improve lives around the
world, particularly in the least developed countries.
This is why the United Kingdom alongside the United States has
been consulting with States Parties on improved access to
peaceful uses coming out of those technologies.
We would like to see a new Sustained Dialogue, bringing fresh
perspectives and identifying new opportunities to support
peaceful uses across a number of areas.
At this Review Conference, the UK calls on all States Parties to
work towards a meaningful outcome across all three pillars of the
Treaty.
Let us be optimistic. Let us celebrate the NPT and renew our
support for it. Let us strengthen it as the cornerstone of our
efforts to deliver a world free of nuclear weapons.
