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Mr Chair,

 

I am delivering this statement on behalf of Estonia, Lithuania and my own country Latvia.

 

Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr Chair, upon your appointment and assure you of full cooperation by our countries.

 

This year we are marking the 70th anniversary of the General Assembly resolution 502 that established the UN Disarmament Commission in its initial form. Although this body has evolved and transformed over decades, its ultimate goal remains unchanged. The history of the Disarmament Commission embodies the unwavering aspiration among UN member states to build confidence and seek balanced disarmament.  

 

Unfortunately, as we evaluate the current security environment around us, we have to conclude that many of the goals driving UN disarmament efforts remain to be fulfilled. We are currently witnessing a large-scale aggression in Europe, which has seriously disrupted international peace and security. Russia’s invasion in Ukraine has led to immense suffering of the Ukrainian people and caused the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the World War II. The images of the brutal killings of innocent civilians in Ukraine have been shocking. The international community should not spare any effort to ensure that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity are held to account.  We recall that another UNDC member – Belarus – has enabled this aggression.

 

The impact of Russia’s war is reaching far beyond Ukraine. Russia’s actions breach the foundations of the international rules-based order, including the UN Charter. Furthermore, it erodes the trust within the international community, as we observe stark contradiction between Russia’s words and deeds.

 

One may ask: how can we collectively advance the global disarmament goals, when existing agreements are breached and mutual confidence is undermined in such a blatant way? We believe the overwhelming majority of the UN member states already provided a firm answer to this question on 2 March, when the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution “Aggression against Ukraine” with 141 votes in favor. The resolution demands Russia to immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine and recalls the obligation of all States under Article 2 of the Charter to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.

 

Ensuring through collective action that rules and norms are being upheld is an important priority in order to return to the path of building international security and stability, including in the field of disarmament.

 

Our states advocate for progressive yet pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament. We support the common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, but we also see the need for strategic stability and the need to account for security realities. Unfortunately, recent steps by Russia, including statements on putting its nuclear forces on high alert, further complicate the security environment. In this context, we recall the “Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on Preventing Nuclear War” and call on Russia to act in line with the letter and spirit of this statement and stop its dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. We await the upcoming NPT Review Conference as the appropriate platform for meaningful discussions on the most pressing nuclear proliferation and disarmament matters.

 

Turning to the other topic to be discussed during the weeks to come – the outer space – we would like to highlight the importance of safe, secure and sustainable outer space. It is in our collective interest to pursue transparency and confidence building measures in order to promote responsible behavior in outer space. We need to preserve the immense potential that outer space provides for peaceful activities and development. For these reasons, we welcome the establishment of the Open-Ended Working Group on “Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behavior” and call for constructive engagement by all member states in this process.

 

Mr Chair,

 

Let me conclude by expressing hope that the discussions we will have in the weeks to come will further strengthen our common understanding of the importance of rules based international order, leading to renewed commitment to uphold it.

 

I thank you.