– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
26 September 2019
Heads of State and Government
Secretary-General
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my honour to welcome you to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. I am encouraged to see so many delegations represented here at a high level. This is a sign that our commitment to working towards a collective vision of a nuclear-weapons-free world remains strong.
As we approach the Seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, we recall that our organisation was born of a time of devastation and distrust. The tragedy of the first-ever use of nuclear weapons makes it crucial that we do everything to ensure that it was also the last time such weapons are deployed. “Never again”, must remain our main refrain.
Last year, the Secretary-General launched an ambitious Disarmament Agenda. Its success rests on States, as it does with us all – individuals, communities and nations. Today’s discussion is a part of the collective efforts to raise awareness of the threat which nuclear weapons pose to humanity. I look forward to hearing your ideas, including on how to further mobilise international efforts towards achieving our common goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world.
In the last few years there has been increasing concern over disarmament; not least in respect of vertical and horizontal proliferation, nuclear weapons testing and the weakening of commitment to earlier agreements. Coming at a time of extraordinary developments in technologies connecting people and places, with young people assuming ever more visibility in protecting the planet and urging for a fairer world, the sharpening of weapons to make them more lethal – particularly nuclear weapons – should not happen.
The short visit I had the privilege to undertake to Hiroshima, Japan in August, this year, afforded me a rare opportunity to listen to a survivor and to learn more about that fateful event – when the world experienced the horrors of nuclear weapons. That experience has further convinced me that nuclear disarmament must be a most urgent priority for the world.
In the last few years there has been increasing concern over disarmament; not least in respect of vertical and horizontal proliferation, nuclear weapons testing and the weakening of commitment to earlier agreements. Coming at a time of extraordinary developments in technologies connecting people and places, with young people assuming ever more visibility in protecting the planet and urging for a fairer world, the sharpening of weapons to make them more lethal – particularly nuclear weapons – should not happen.
We commend States that have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and urge those who have not done so to join in this vital action.
Next year we will hold the Tenth Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This provides us an opportunity to recommit to efforts toward non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. I implore each of you to listen to and learn from each other. This is an issue which threatens the safety of all of us. In this most noble endeavour multilateralism is our only way forward.
I am confident that by striving together, we will succeed in delivering for all.
I thank you.
