ASEAN advocates international disarmament efforts

The Vietnamese diplomat made the statement on behalf of ASEAN during an annual debate held among the UN General Assembly’s Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee). Also present were the UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir and UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

Ambassador Quy, who is the Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, voiced ASEAN’s concerns regarding the existence of nuclear weapons and the significant consequences of using them. Indeed, ASEAN backs the complete elimination of nuclear weapons and the full implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) moving forward.

ASEAN has therefore called on all nations to join and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) as a means of enabling these deals to come into force as quickly as possible, he continued.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese ambassador underscored the importance of holding continued dialogues and negotiations in an effort to resolve the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula, adding that ASEAN stands poised to assist all relevant parties in making progress on peace talks.

The Vietnamese diplomat reiterated the regional bloc’s continued support for efforts to both manage and control conventional and new weapons, in addition to the peaceful use of outer space, with the bloc fully committed to maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free Southeast Asia.

In concluding his comments, Ambassador Quy highlighted co-operation between ASEAN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, along with the work of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) to address post-war bombs and mines.