Qatar Calls for Firm Policy on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues

Qatar Calls for Firm Policy on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues

New York / Information Office / October 15

The State of Qatar has expressed its keenness on adopting a firm policy on disarmament and non-proliferation issues, affirming its firm belief that achieving international peace and security is the shared responsibility of States.

It stressed that the multilateral framework was the only way to address disarmament, non-proliferation and international security issues and rid humanity of weapons of mass destruction in general and nuclear weapons in particular.

This came in a statement delivered today by Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Talal bin Rashid Al Khalifa, in the general debate on "Disarmament and International Security" before the First Committee of the seventy-fourth session of General Assembly.

With the acceleration of progress in ICT and insufficient international legislation in this vital area, promoting cybersecurity has become a complex challenge for the international community, and the misuse of cyberspace has become a threat to States and individuals, and has become a source of conflict and disagreement, he said, stressing that regulating how to deal with this threat is critical and is in the interest of all.

The Deputy Permanent Representative noted in this context that the State of Qatar suffered from a cyberattack in the past period when the website of Qatar News Agency (QNA) was hacked and the hacking led to the creation of an international crisis with serious repercussions on regional and international peace and security, pointing out that the State of Qatar has intensified its efforts in the field of cybersecurity, as it has reviewed and updated the relevant national legislation.

In the context of the exchange of experience and knowledge, he said, the State of Qatar was keen to participate in the activities organized by the United Nations, including the meetings of the open-ended working group established by General Assembly Resolution 73/27 on regulating responsible behavior of States in this field, within the framework of the State of Qatar's commitment to international cooperation in the face of common challenges.

In this regard, he pointed out that the State of Qatar announced its readiness to host an international conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, to discuss ways of regulating the issue of cybersecurity in accordance with the provisions of international law.

The Deputy Permanent Representative stated that the expanding and growing internal and regional armed conflicts posed a serious challenge to the security of States and contributed to their destabilization, which reflected negatively on the regional and international security situation.

He added the proliferation, availability and use of weapons by rival groups raises the risk of these weapons being transferred to terrorist groups and transnational human trafficking networks, stressing the urgent need for concerted international efforts to address these serious challenges and to intensify work in the field of conflict prevention and peaceful settlement, in accordance with international law.

He pointed to the international agreements on disarmament, which laid the foundations for achieving the goals of the international community, and stressed the importance of resorting to constructive dialogue in resolving differences, which is the only way to enhance confidence, reduce the proliferation, use and development of weapons in order to achieve the stability of States and societies.

The statement stressed the State of Qatar's support for international efforts in collective prevention of crises and resolving them by peaceful means to settle disputes in accordance with the provisions of Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations. He pointed out that human security is a top priority for the international community and a goal that deserves collective action to achieve it. Achieving this goal is linked to the elimination of tensions in our world today, which requires the engagement of all actors at the international level in a dialogue that reflects on dealing with all issues related to weapons of mass destruction, which pose a grave threat to international peace and security.

The statement added that the conference on disarmament is the only negotiating forum for discussing disarmament issues, stressing the importance for the conference to adopt a balanced and comprehensive program of work leading to the aspirations of the international community in this field.

It reiterated the State of Qatar's grave concerns over the lack of progress in the Middle East nuclear weapon free zone, the failure to implement the obligations resulting from the 1995 NPT Review Conference, the 2000 Review Conference and the 2010 Plan of Action, as well as the failure of the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In this context, the statement of Qatar's Permanent Delegation stressed the great importance of holding the United Nations Conference under the chairmanship of Jordan next November on the establishment of a Middle East nuclear weapon free zone, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 73/546, hoping that the conference will achieve its intended goal to contribute to the promotion of regional and international peace and security.

Concluding, the statement reiterated the commitment of the State of Qatar to strengthen its partnerships and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations to advance international efforts to achieve international peace and security.