Statement Delivered by H.E. Mr. Osman Saleh
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea
During the High-level Meeting: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
79TH Session of the United Nation General Assembly,
26 September 2024, New York
Mr. President,
Seventy-nine years ago, the United Nations was created with the aim of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Yet, the current heightened geopolitical tensions, including proxy wars are endangering global peace and security. Unless we urgently break free from the hegemonic world order and the zero-sum security logic that still dominates and prevails, we risk inching towards the realm of the unimaginable, the use of nuclear weapons. It happened once, and we must insist that it never happens again to spare our common home and common future from the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons.
We must underline that nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat to humankind and we should stand by our solemn duty on this auspicious occasion to reaffirm our commitment to the goal of denuclearization. In this regard, we wish to welcome the UN high level meeting on the commemoration and promotion of 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of nuclear weapons devoted to furthering this noble objective.
Mr. President,
While the call for a comprehensive nuclear disarmament treaty stands as an important milestone, and mindful of nuclear states’ responsibility in the complete elimination of nuclear arsenals under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, let’s make use of the existing multilateral tools at our disposal. It would be critical to give full effect to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), universalization of Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), further establishment of nuclear free zones across all regions, as well as ratification and accession to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as ways and means to achieve the objective of a world free of nuclear weapons. Most importantly, we have the UN Charter that we must abide by, at all times, to maintain international peace and security with an inclusive international security architecture in place that guarantees the safety and security of all nations.
Thank you
