Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
23 September 2021
Excellencies, colleagues,
It is my honour to be here and address all of you.
I thank the co-Presidents and the Preparatory Commission for organizing this important conference.
For over seventy years now, the world has lived under the shadow of a mushroom cloud.
We have witnessed the horrors unleashed when these weapons were used almost immediately after they were developed, when the technology behind them was still young.
And yet, arsenals continue to grow and our scientific prowess in war continues to outpace our moral wisdom.
These horrific weapons now have the potential to wipe out human civilization many times over.
Contrary to this, most of humanity yearns for a world that is free of nuclear weapons.
The numbers speak for themselves. 185 Member States have now signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and 170 have ratified it.
This year, as we mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the CTBT by the General Assembly, we must galvanize efforts to make this treaty legally binding.
This treaty remains one of the most important international instruments in global nuclear disarmament efforts.
I applaud all those countries that have signed and ratified the treaty and urge those who have not done so to do so without delay, particularly the remaining Annex 2 states whose ratification is needed for entry into force.
Excellencies,
Under my Presidency of Hope, I am committed to working together with all relevant stakeholders to advance the disarmament agenda.
Towards this end, I heartily applaud the outreach activities being done by the Provisional Technical Secretariat to encourage signature and ratification of the treaty.
I also encourage all involved to continue to engage with all stakeholders, particularly youth. After all, it is the young that will suffer most dearly if we fail to act.
Excellencies,
In closing, it is my sincere hope that the discussions to follow during this conference will be productive, that we will hear fresh perspectives on how to press the urgency of this issue.
It is my firm belief that together we can realize our hope of a world that is free of nuclear weapons.
Thank you.
We must embrace nature-based solutions that protect the rich tapestry of life on earth, and that allow our oceans, our lands and our forests to thrive. Let’s not forget that biodiversity is integral to our spiritual, cultural, psychological and artistic well-being.
