– As translated from Spanish –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly

26 September 2018

Opening of the Day of Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Secretary-General,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

It is a pleasure to be here and to participate in this High-Level Plenary Meeting on the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

The elimination of nuclear weapons is probably the existential challenge of our times and must remain a priority for the United Nations.

No other technology, no other weapon of mass destruction, has the capacity to, quite literally, change the face of the earth, eradicating entire societies.

In 1945, two atomic bombs devastated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in an estimated 300,000 deaths. Today, approximately 15,000 nuclear weapons, more powerful than those two bombs, remain in the stockpiles of nine countries, and hundreds remain on high alert, ready to be launched within minutes. This is a threatening reality that we cannot ignore.

The very survival of humanity requires resolute agreement forbidding the use of nuclear weapons.

A nuclear weapon free world is the only true guarantee that human nature will not jeopardize our very existence. The threats and actions of non-state actors, which actively seek to secure such weapons, are evidence of this.

Excellencies, it is for these reasons that the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was established by the General Assembly in 2013 and has been observed annually ever since.

The Day, which raises public awareness and political commitment, provides a forum each year for Member States to discuss this existential threat and to find joint solutions that promote nuclear disarmament.

I am pleased to note that progress has been made. In 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted. This historic, legally-binding instrument for nuclear disarmament includes prohibitions against developing, testing, acquiring, using or even threatening to use, nuclear weapons.

The Treaty is a testament to the continued need for, and utility of, multilateralism.

The Treaty remains open to signatures by Member States. Once we achieve 50 ratifications the Treaty can fully enter into force. I hope that today’s discussion will help sway your opinion in favor of the need for this instrument.

In this context, I also welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to launch, earlier this year, an Agenda for Disarmament.

The Agenda seeks to engage stakeholders in innovative discussions on practical measures designed to generate outcomes in ongoing negotiations and other initiatives. This is precisely what we need right now: fresh ideas and political will to make a difference.

Nuclear disarmament is as important as ever. During my tenure as President of the General Assembly, I will engage with Member States to discuss the best way to move forward in the work of the First Committee and beyond.

Achieving a nuclear-free world is a universal aspiration. I hope  this meeting will prove to be a timely opportunity to exchange views on how we could take concrete steps towards that goal.

Thank you.

Find original speech in Spanish here