European Union

Statement on Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty

Conference on Disarmament

Geneva, 13 June 2023

Madam President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member states.

The candidate countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^* , Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, the potential candidate country Georgia, as well as the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

The EU attaches great importance to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control instruments which contribute to peace, security and stability. We reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, which, together with increased tensions and continued proliferation crises, underscores the need to preserve, implement and further strengthen the entire disarmament and non-proliferation architecture.

Madam President,

30 years have passed since the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution that recommended the negotiation of a treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices. What was already overdue back then is now a matter of urgency. The EU and its Member States have, for many years, been at the forefront of international efforts to achieve a non-discriminatory and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. We remain convinced that an FMCT would represent a concrete step towards fulfilling obligations under Article VI of the NPT and would make a significant practical contribution to preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Given the growing size of some nuclear arsenals, increasing nuclear rhetoric, as well as serious proliferation crises, the case for an FMCT becomes even clearer and more urgent.

The EU and its Member States support starting negotiations on an FMCT in accordance with document CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein. Pending the negotiation and entry into force of an FMCT, we call on all States concerned that have not yet done so to declare and uphold an immediate moratorium on the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Until now, all nuclear weapon states under the NPT have declared such a moratorium, except China. Therefore, we call on China to declare and uphold such a moratorium.

Starting negotiations on an FMCT is not only an EU priority, but the overwhelming will of the international community, as demonstrated in the 2010 NPT Action Plan and reiterated by UN General Assembly Resolution 73/65, which reaffirmed the urgent necessity of negotiating and bringing to a conclusion a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. We also recall that the annual General Assembly Resolution on FMCT, co-sponsored by Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, continues to receive overwhelming majority support.

We welcome substantial progress on possible definitions, scope, verification, and legal and institutional arrangements and the comprehensive preparatory work carried out in the High Level Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty Expert Preparatory Group (HLEPG) and the previous Group of Governmental Experts. The options-based approach allowed for an in-depth consideration of every possibility. The HLEPG increased understanding of the challenges and provided a clear path toward future negotiations. We also welcome the identification of substantial transparency and confidence-building measures. In this respect, we agree with the recommendation of the High Level Group that further expert work could be useful, in particular on the various verification models to determine how they might work in practice, and to assess the resource implications of the possible verification and institutional models. We also consider it important that a future treaty’s preamble include reference to, inter alia, the importance of active and equal participation and leadership of women and their full involvement in the institutions of the treaty and in its efforts to maintain and promote peace and security.

The Conference has considered this issue in previous years through in-depth discussions in its Subsidiary Bodies. We welcomed the report of this body adopted in 2018 and regret that last year, SB2 was unable to approve a well-balanced report despite considerable efforts by the vast majority of States and the Spanish coordinator. The lack of substantive progress at the CD and its failure to begin negotiations that build on the substantial preparatory work already conducted is not tenable. We are convinced and underline that the start of FMCT negotiations will not threaten anyone’s national security interests, and will in fact produce a safer and more stable security environment benefiting all States. Any State who has reservations about aspects of a future Treaty can raise them during the negotiations in the CD, which operates through the consensus rule. We therefore call on all CD members to exert their utmost flexibility and to start negotiations on such a Treaty without delay.

In conclusion, we would like to inform you that the EU has submitted a Working Paper on an FMCT to the First Preparatory Committee of the 11^th Review Cycle to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

I thank you, Madam President.

^*  North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.