Qatar Renews Commitment To Principles, Goals Of Disarmament, International Security, Nuclear Non-Proliferation

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar has renewed its commitment to the principles and goals of disarmament, international security and nuclear non-proliferation, stressing that the global security environment today is more fragile and complex than it was ever before, and that the world lives in an era of uncertainty and turmoil.
This came in a statement delivered by Second Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of Qatar to the UN, HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, in the general debate of the First Committee of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on all agenda items related to disarmament and international security at the UN headquarters in New York.
Qatar's statement said that the solidarity of the international community and the basic values of the UN Charter are being tested on a daily basis and pressures and threats come from both traditional and non-traditional security dimensions.
The world is changing rapidly.
In the absence of constructive dialogue, the statement said, the accumulated contradictions will continue to escalate, leading to complete chaos in strategic affairs and a direct threat to international peace and security.
To avoid this, a serious and stimulating dialogue must be held regarding the rules acceptable to all parties for conflict-free coexistence in order to reduce tension and prevent dangerous escalation and arms race, including arms control, it said, noting that rebuilding a permanent and more equitable international security structure is an urgent necessity.
It added that there is a need to follow the basic principles, namely full and consistent respect for the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions, and international law as well as implement the affirmation contained in the Declaration of the First Special Session devoted to disarmament (I quote) that: "Each state has an equal right to security.”
The statement stressed that Qatar renews its commitment to the principles and goals of disarmament, international security and nuclear non-proliferation as the possession and development of nuclear weapons constitutes a threat to regional and international peace and security.
Therefore, Qatar supports all initiatives aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons and establishing zones free of weapons of mass destruction, especially in the Middle East region, which is still witnessing a state of instability due to the imbalance of power between its parties and the presence of nuclear activities that are not subject to the nuclear non-proliferation system, it noted.
It emphasised that Qatar supports the establishment of nuclear weapon-free zones in all regions of the world to help promote global nuclear non-proliferation and consolidate international efforts towards peace and security, noting that this step comes to build confidence in establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction and means of delivering them anywhere and at any time, especially in the Middle East, without further delay, as decided at the 1995 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Regarding small and light weapons, the statement stated that Qatar welcomes the adoption of the final document of the eighth meeting of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and looks forward to building on the recommendations contained therein, in preparation for the fourth review conference of the Programme of Action expected to be held in 2024, in addition to developing the proposal of UN fellowship programme urgently, which aims to build the capabilities of developing countries in the issues of small arms and light weapons in line with the recommendations in the final document of the eighth meeting of the UN Programme of Action.
It added that the UN should continue to play a central role in the process of negotiating information security at the international level, and Qatar welcomes the adoption of the first annual report of the UN Open-ended Working Group on this topic, which expresses the tasks facing the international community and sets the direction for further discussion.
Qatar notes that it was important to continue discussing pressing security issues in the field of information and communications technology within the framework of the unified mechanism of the Open-ended Working Group, while avoiding“distracting” the negotiations through the creation of dual formats.
With regard to cybersecurity, the statement stated that Qatar emphasises the need to establish a solid and binding framework in the future and the need to continue working on implementing existing standards to enhance the use of information and communications technology for peaceful and security purposes as well as on capacity building by developing a permanent, action-oriented work approach.
The statement stressed that Qatar is determined to move forward with its role in advancing the principles of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation as these principles are considered fundamental to the ambition of the state to enhance international peace and security.

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