'Double standards in application of non-proliferation norms endangers strategic stability'

Farrukh Amil speaks at UNGA thematic debate on nuclear weapons


APP October 14, 2017
Ambassador Farrukh Amil. PHOTO COURTESY: Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations and International Organisations

UNITED NATIONS: There is a dire need to promote global disarmament by fostering a rules-based, equitable and non-discriminatory order that also bars exceptions driven by strategic, political or commercial considerations.

This was the crux of the Pakistani Ambassador Farrukh Amil's speech who was speaking at the UN General Assembly's main committee's thematic debate on nuclear weapons on Saturday. Amil is the country's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva.

He added that any double standards in the application of non-proliferation norms for political expedience and economic benefits endangers strategic stability in the region.

Securing Pakistan’s nuclear assets

The Pakistani representative said that amid worsening international and regional security environment, the goal of nuclear disarmament remained elusive.

"The dearth of progress is due to nuclear weapon states in fulfilling their disarmament obligations, while constantly shifting the goal posts towards additional non-proliferation measures that were cost-free for their own strategic gains," he said.

Turning to the Conference on Disarmament (CD), he expressed regret that it had fallen short of expectations in fulfilling its raison de’tre of nuclear disarmament.

“The frustration, brewing over the slow progress, had boiled over, giving rise to an initiative launched outside the Conference on Disarmament to ban nuclear weapons, which had subsequently faltered by ignoring the fundamental security considerations that underpinned nuclear disarmament,” Amil stressed.

Pakistan, he said, stands ready to consider a treaty that covers the past production of fissile material, and has put forward a detailed Working Paper in this regard in the CD.

COMMENTS (1)

Zarnish | 6 years ago | Reply This is a bitter fact that the very non serious attitude or can say the double standards of bigger powers and most specifically the nuclear weapon states have made the non proliferation regime less effective in its application. At one point they all get together to say the words and making the world trusting them that they would carry forward the efforts of non proliferation and disarmament in its true essence but on the other hand Indo US nuclear cooperation and likely ventures have made it all fruitless. There is a strong need to seek for initiatives where all the sates can show their concerns and mutually agreed to a single multilateral forum.
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