EU Statement – UN General Assembly 1st Committee: Regional Disarmament and Security

Madam Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*,Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

The EU has a long history of supporting actions whichaddress threats to international and regional security and whichpromote disarmament.

The EU will continue to work for the peaceful resolution of regional instability and insecurity and of conflict situations. We strongly support the establishment of regional and sub-regional confidence- and security-building measures. Such measures which should be implemented in a good faith, build trust, enhance transparency and military predictability, avoid conflict and maintain stability, especially in situations of armed confrontation and areas of tension. We stress the need to advance and upholdthe general arms control and disarmament processesand call for further progress on all aspects of disarmament to enhance global and regional security.

It remains a strategic priority of the EU to support peace and stability in the entire Middle East. The EU reaffirms its full support for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East. We consider the 1995 NPT Resolution valid until its goals and objectives are achieved and strongly support the outcome of the 2010 NPT Review Conference on the Middle East.

Europe's security is based on the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of States, and the peaceful settlement of disputes, which are fundamental parts of international law and the UN Charter. Unfortunately these long-standing principles have not been respected by all States.

The EU reiterates its condemnation of Russia's unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, which isa manifest and clear violation of the UN Charter. Russia has systematically breached the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including attacks against civilians as well as criticaland civilianinfrastructure. The European Union remains committed to seeing Russia and its leadership held fully accountable for waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and for crimes under international law, as well as for the massive damage caused by its war. The EU will continue to provide strong financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes, and will actively oppose any related disinformation. We welcome the fruitful, comprehensive and constructive exchange of views during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine which took place in June in Switzerland. The EU and its Member States will pursue their efforts to build the broadest international supportfor a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, in line with the key principles and objectives of Ukraine's Peace Formula.

We recall that Russia has violated its commitment under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Russia's illegal seizure and occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), endangers Ukraine, the region and the world. The European Union welcomesthe International Atomic Energy Agency's presence at the ZNPP, and the IAEA'swork to strengthen nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. In this regard, we also support the Director General's seven indispensable pillars and five concrete principles.

The European Union condemns continued military support for Russia's aggression provided by the DPRK, Iran and Belarus. Belarus must stop its involvement in this war of aggression and must stop allowing Russian armed forces to use its territory, including for the announced deployment of nuclear weapons.

We strongly condemn the recent transfer of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to Russia. This transfer is a direct threat to European security, and represents a substantive material escalation from the provision of Iranian UAVs and ammunition, which Russia has used in its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Iran ballistic missiles could now be used to cause further suffering and destruction in Ukraine. The European Union's position on Iran's involvement in Russia's war has always been clear. We have repeatedly and strongly cautioned Iran against transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia. We are working towards a swift response and in coordination with international partners, including with new and significant restrictive measures against Iran, such as the designation of individuals and entities involved with Iran's ballistic missile and drone programmes. In this regard, the European Union is considering restrictive measures in Iran's aviation sector as well. We recall that Iran must stop providing missiles, drones, components and manufacturing technology to Russia and the DPRK must cease unlawful arms transfers to Russia.

One year later, we call for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditionalreleaseof all hostages to put an end to the violence and enable a full-scale humanitarian response in Gaza.The European Union reiterates its strongest condemnation of the brutal terrorist attacks conducted by Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel on 7 October 2023. It expresses its full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirms its full commitment to its security and to regional stability. In exercising its right to defend itself, Israel must fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, in all circumstances. The EU stresses the need importance of respecting and implementing the orders of the International Court of Justice, which are legally binding.

The European Union deplores all loss of civilian life, and calls on all parties to take every feasible step to protect civilian lives. It notes with utmost concern the unacceptablenumber of civilian casualties, especially children, as well as the catastrophic levels of hunger and imminent risk of famine caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza. The EU calls on all parties to take every feasible precaution to avoid harm to civilians, humanitarian workers and facilities, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In this context, it stresses that the services UNRWA provides in Gaza and across the region are essential and condemns any attempts to label a UN agency as a terrorist organisation.The EU welcomes the action plan presented by UNRWA. Its implementation will be closely monitored.

The European Union welcomes the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2735. The European Union calls for the full implementation of the terms of the ceasefire proposal without delay and without conditions, which would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, and an enduring ceasefire and end to the crisis, with Israel's security interests and safety for Palestinian civilians assured.

The European Union strongly condemns the ongoing extremist settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. We condemn the Israeli government's decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and urges Israel to reverse these decisions.

Building national capacities and strengthening regional cooperation remain central to our efforts, as set out in the EU Strategy against illicit firearms, small arms and light weapons and their ammunition of 2021. In this context, we cooperate closely with UN regional centres and regional and sub-regional organisations.

The EU supports many small arms and light weapons control projects, many in collaboration with regional organisations. In Africa, the EU has worked with the African Union, ECOWAS, UNREC, and RECSA. In Europe, the EU works with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearing House for the Control on SALW (SEESAC) part of UNDP, including supporting the implementation of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to arms control in the Western Balkans by 2024. In Latin America, the EU works with the Organisation of American States and UNLIREC. The EU also supports combating the illicit trade and proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Member States of the League of Arab States.

Furthermore, many other EU assistance activities focus on promoting universal adherence to and national implementation of key international instruments, including the CWC, the BTWC, UN Security Council Resolution 1540, and The Hague Code of Conduct against ballistic missile proliferation, to name just a few. The EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative, with an estimated budget of 140 million EUR for the period 2021-2027, provides a platform for voluntary regional cooperation with 64 partner countries on all chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards.

Lastly, the EU also has a long history of support for actions that address the threat posed by mines, whether legacy or new contamination, and explosive remnants of war. Over the past five years, EU institutions alone provided more than 300 million EUR to mine action activities in 24 mine contaminated countries.

I thank you, Madam Chair.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.