Dubai: The UAE will continue to develop its peaceful nuclear energy programme in order to meet its growing need for electricity within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) guidelines, the UAE's Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Ambassador Ahmad Al Jarman, said in a statement before the General Debate of the First Committee on "Disarmament and International Security" at the 66th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
"The UAE will continue to take further concrete steps towards developing its peaceful nuclear energy programme in order to meet its growing needs of electricity within the framework of the safeguards and supervision of the IAEA, in compliance with the highest standards of transparency, safety and nuclear security and nonproliferation, and in full cooperation with the Agency and other friendly and responsible states with relevant experience in this field," the statement said.
Al Jarman said the UAE, which recently participated in the meetings of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), hopes that nuclear states would enter into serious and effective negotiations that will lead to gradual elimination of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.
He also hoped that nuclear technology would be converted solely for peaceful purposes within the agreed timeframe stipulated in Article VI of the NPT, under strict and effective international supervision and in accordance with recommendations of the International Court of Justice.
"In this context, we also urge states not party to treaties on disarmament to accede to these strategic treaties as soon as possible, notably the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, in order to enhance the universality and inclusiveness of these treaties," he added.
The ambassador said the UAE renews its support for the proposal of the Non-Aligned Movement to convene an international conference as soon as possible to achieve international consensus on practical and transparent methods to eliminate all existing nuclear arsenals and guaranteeing that non-nuclear states will not seek to acquire such weapons.
Seeking political will
He further said the UAE seeks genuine political will from the international community to achieve early progress in the full implementation of the Action Plan adopted at the NPT Review Conference in 2010, and in the efforts of Arab states aiming at establishing a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.
The UAE believes that promotion of the international disarmament agenda requires activation of the Conference on Disarmament, which is the international multilateral body responsible for promoting universal negotiations on disarmament issues, said the ambassador.
"Hence, the UAE calls upon all states to demonstrate further political will and flexibility towards reaching an early agreement on a comprehensive and balanced programme of action for this conference — an agreement which is capable of launching an inclusive genuine negotiating process on the key issues of global armament, including issues related to elaborating a convention on the final disposition of nuclear weapons by the year 2025 as a time frame to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons through these negotiations," he said.
He said the UAE urges the nuclear states to unconditionally provide developing countries with their needs of materials, scientific equipment and technology required for continuing their development programmes.
Al Jarman said the UAE reaffirms its continued political commitment to all multilateral diplomatic efforts undertaken at the international and regional levels with the aim of building confidence in the area of disarmament of strategic weapons in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
"We hope that our deliberations in this important committee will lead to achieving international consensus on promoting and developing our efforts to realise security, peace and development as well as regional and international stability," he said.
