Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. Chair,
The United Arab Emirates aligns itself with the statements of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab Group.
Intensifying armed conflicts, including in the Middle East, reinforce the need to uphold international law and the UN Charter, particularly with respect to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The UAE affirms the importance of protecting nuclear facilities used exclusively for peaceful purposes. These facilities must not be made objects of attacks, and their safety and security should not be compromised by hostile acts.
We stress the need to respect relevant international principles and standards, as well as to support the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency – particularly amid geopolitical tension and during armed conflicts.
The UAE also reaffirms the right of States to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, provided that such use is pursued transparently, in accordance with non-proliferation obligations, and in full compliance with IAEA safeguards.
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant provides a practical example of our national approach. It contributes to energy security and sustainable development while operating within a framework of transparency, close cooperation with the IAEA, and compliance with nuclear safety and security standards.
Mr. Chair,
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, with its 3 pillars, remains the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. We regret that, for the third consecutive time, an NPT Review Conference concluded without consensus on a substantive outcome. The total elimination of nuclear weapons remains the only absolute guarantee against their use or threat of use. We therefore call on nuclear-weapon States to take concrete, transparent, verifiable, and irreversible steps towards disarmament.
Confidence in the NPT depends on credible verification. We reaffirm the IAEA’s central role in verifying States’ compliance with their safeguards obligations. We support the universal adoption and effective implementation of an Additional Protocol alongside comprehensive safeguards agreements. States with outstanding safeguards issues must cooperate fully and constructively with the IAEA.
Reducing nuclear risks also requires the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We thus urge all remaining States, particularly those listed in Annex 2, to sign and ratify it without delay.
At the regional level, the UAE reiterates its firm support for a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and the implementation of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East. Ahead of the upcoming November Conference, we call on all States of the region to engage constructively and in good faith towards a legally binding treaty establishing the zone.
Mr. Chair,
Beyond nuclear risks, protecting civilians requires effective conventional arms control. Combating the illicit proliferation and diversion of small arms and light weapons calls for effective national measures, stronger border management and enhanced cooperation among States.
We recognize the important role of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, and we emphasize the need for information-sharing and coordination at all levels in this regard.
Similarly, the UAE supports stronger multilateral cooperation to preserve the peaceful use of outer space and prevent an arms race in this domain. We stress the need for all States to adhere to the provisions of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and call on them to refrain from placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in outer space.
The same commitment to cooperation and responsible State behavior must guide our efforts in cyberspace. The UAE welcomes the commencement of work of the Global Mechanism on ICTs in the Context of International Security, and supports the implementation of the agreed framework of responsible State behavior.
Mr. Chair,
Women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in disarmament decision-making is essential to the implementation of our security commitments. We also recognize the importance of empowering youth as active agents contributing to shaping solutions to today’s global challenges.
The UAE remains committed to collective cooperation and constructive multilateral action which translates our disarmament and international security goals into tangible progress in our region and the world.
Thank you.