129th ASSEMBLY and RELATED MEETINGS

Geneva, 7-9 October 2013

 

IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs

 

 

 

“Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction)”

 

CONTRIBUTION

of

Mr. Cornel-George Comşa, MP, Chamber of Deputies of Romania

Secretary of the Executive Bureau of the Romanian IPU Group

 

 

 

 

Mr. Chairman,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take the floor and to share with you some of my ideas concerning this important subject.

 

Romania fully supports the efforts to strengthen international nuclear security framework and does its best to prevent the risk of WMD falling into the hands of terrorists.

 

In the context of the threats posed to global security by terrorists and other non-state actors, our country stresses the importance of the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1540 and 1887, and actively participates in a number of international initiatives in the field of combating nuclear terrorism, such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative for Combating Nuclear Terrorism.

 

In this tumultuous environment I want to stress the IAEA‘s central role in mainstreaming international efforts to strengthen nuclear security at global level.

 

As an EU Member, we fully stand behind the EU Strategy against the proliferation of WMD, while actively promoting the main goals therein: effective multilateralism, prevention and international cooperation.

 

In this respect, Romania strongly supports the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which imposes obligations to all UN Member States to adopt legislative measures to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery, and to establish adequate internal controls for preventing the access of illicit and non-state actors to these types of weapons and means of delivery.

 

Romania is also deeply concerned by the serious challenges to the non-proliferation regime posed by Iran, North Korea and Syria.

 

Our country held the Chairmanship of the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1540, for two years, since the adoption of the Resolution, in 2004, and continues to strongly support and actively promote, both nationally and internationally, the full implementation of this unique instrument in the field of non-proliferation of WMD.

 

As a country with a relevant civilian nuclear program, we fully support the right of any State to benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, under the conditions that non-proliferation, safety and security conditions are entirely met.

 

Regarding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Romania is firmly convinced that NPT remains one of the pillars of international security and the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

 

The three pillars of the Treaty provide the adequate framework for preserving and strengthening international peace and security while, at the same time, benefiting from peaceful uses of nuclear technologies. We strongly promote a comprehensive and balanced approach of the NPT regime.

 

The future viability of the Treaty relies on its full implementation and the achievement of its universality.

 

Thank you for your kind attention!