United Nations General Assembly: First Committee 2024 – General Debate statement

Statement delivered by Ambassador for Disarmament and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, H.E. Lucy Duncan

Congratulations Chair on your appointment. You have New Zealand's full support.

New Zealand is deeply concerned at continued deterioration in the global security environment.

Civilians are bearing the brunt of conflicts around the world, in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the extensive use of explosive weapons in the Middle East, and high intensity conflicts including in Sudan and Myanmar.
We are witnessing a retreat from essential humanitarian norms that, concertedly and painstakingly, were built over decades. New Zealand urges all states to redouble their commitment to international law and norms, especially international humanitarian law, through practical actions.

Chair,

Through the Pact for the Future, states have recommitted to a world without nuclear weapons, and to strengthening the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture.

All States that possess or rely on nuclear weapons for their security must take tangible steps towards disarmament. Nuclear weapon states must fulfil their NPT Article VI obligation and related commitments.

Threats to use nuclear weapons are never acceptable. Collectively, we must resist the normalisation of nuclear threats. The Russian President's recent comments expanding the conditions under which Russia might use nuclear weapons are troubling, and underline the urgency of instead reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in doctrines with a view to their total elimination.

Eliminating nuclear weapons is ultimately the only guarantee against the catastrophic consequences of their use. Working toward total elimination demands practical actions to reduce nuclear weapon risk, and for disarmament negotiations to re-commence.

The TPNW is one practical step some of the international community has already taken. We encourage all states to join the TPNW, as the clearest possible rejection of nuclear weapons.

This year, New Zealand, with Ireland, is leading a resolution to establish a Panel of scientific experts to produce a report on the impacts of nuclear war. This approach will incorporate scientific findings to update our overall understanding. Knowledge is power. Achieving greater knowledge and awareness of the consequences of nuclear war is something the entire international community should unite around.

Chair,

We view with alarm the challenges facing the global non-proliferation regime including reports of riot control agent and chemical weapon use by Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine. We remind Russia of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and call on it to provide answers, fully and without further obfuscation or delay, to the OPCW. New Zealand also calls upon the Syrian Arab Republic to comply with its obligations as a State Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

New Zealand regrets Iran's continued failure to address outstanding safeguards issues and comply with its legal obligations. Iran's uranium enrichment activities have no credible civilian purpose.

The DPRK's weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery threaten international security and undermine the global non-proliferation regime. New Zealand is gravely concerned by the illegal transfer of military materiel from the DPRK to Russia. These transfers violate UNSC resolutions and must cease.

We call on all states to support the CTBT. In this regard, we are disappointed that Russia took the unprecedented step to de-ratify the Treaty, which takes us in the wrong direction. We urge all States - especially the nuclear-armed States - to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay.

Chair,

Conventional weapons regimes, and the precious norms and rules they embody, are also under pressure.

This year saw the first withdrawal from the Convention on Cluster Munitions. As the global security environment deteriorates, we must reinforce humanitarian disarmament instruments, not shy away from them.

Civilian harm in conflict is at alarming levels, including due to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

As well as curbing the worst effects on civilians of existing means and methods of warfare, we need clear rules and limits on certain new technologies in view of their risks. New Zealand continues to call for urgent action on autonomous weapon systems. We were encouraged by the strong support for the resolution led by Austria last year, and welcome the Secretary General's report on the topic. With reports emerging of use of these systems in current conflicts, New Zealand underlines the urgency of tackling this challenge in a comprehensive and inclusive way.

Chair,

We all rely on space-based systems. The peaceful, safe, secure, and sustainable use of space through a strong and effective rules-based system is essential.

New Zealand supports ongoing efforts to develop norms, rules, and principles to address space threats, including an approach that incorporates both a behaviour- and capability-based approach. We believe this is a pragmatic step towards mitigating the risk of miscalculation, misunderstanding, and escalation in space.

We share others' concerns about activities that may endanger the free and open use of space for all. In this regard, we call on all states to abide by their international commitments in the Outer Space Treaty, in particular Article IV, and to not place nuclear weapons into orbit or develop the capability to do so.

In this same vein, New Zealand is committed to advancing responsible state behaviour in a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace.

Technological developments in cyber space have the potential to make the world a safer place, and can contribute to sustainable development, prosperity, and economic growth.

Equally, cyberspace is increasingly becoming a vector for emerging threats that undermine international security. This includes the deployment of ransomware, targeting of critical infrastructure, and the malicious use of cyber activity that is now increasingly occurring in the context of armed conflict.

We must work collectively to meet these challenges and to uphold and implement the UN framework for responsible state behaviour online.

Less than two weeks ago, New Zealand's Foreign Minister told the General Assembly, "It has never been more apparent just how much diplomacy and the tools of statecraft matter in our troubled world". I reiterate his words here today. It is my delegation's sincere hope that our work these next five weeks will strengthen international security and disarmament against the threats we all face.

Thank you.

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