Statement by Ambassador Foo Kok Jwee, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Office and Other International Organisations at Geneva and Vienna at the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Geneva, 24 April 2018

Mr Chairman,

Let me first congratulate you on your election as Chairman of the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon). 

You can count on our delegation’s full support.

I also wish to congratulate His Excellency Dato’ Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob of Malaysia on his election as Chairman of the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee. 

Mr Chairman,

The NPT’s legitimacy and relevance has been severely challenged in recent years.

States Parties failed to adopt a Final Outcome Document at the last RevCon in 2015.  

The pace of nuclear disarmament by Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) remains very slow.

Nuclear arsenals are in fact still being modernised. 

The convening of a Conference to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has stalled.  

The rights to peaceful uses of nuclear energy remain challenging, in particular for developing countries.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) has still not entered into force.

The adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) last year also raised questions about its impact on the NPT. 

This PrepComm is also taking place at a time when the current global geopolitical and security situation has become more complex and challenging. 

The mistrust between NWS and Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS) has deepened since the last RevCon. 

Mr Chairman,

In this context, my delegation would like to make the following points that guide our work for this PrepCom.

Our view is that the NWS must do more to fulfil their disarmament commitments under Article VI of the NPT and the 2010 Action Plan.

We urge them to continue engaging in meaningful dialogue to build trust to create the conditions for future nuclear disarmament negotiations.

The entry into force of the CTBT is long overdue. 

We call on all countries which have not done so, in particular the Annex 2 countries, to sign and ratify the CTBT. 

Pending the entry into force of the CTBT, all States should refrain from any action that contravene the object and purpose of the Treaty, including conducting nuclear explosions.

We also hope to see progress in the negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference of Disarmament, and through discussions in the high-level expert preparatory group.

Mr Chairman,

We remain concerned by threats to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, including by non-state actors, which could undermine international peace and security. 

Our view is that the IAEA’s safeguards verification regime plays a critical role in the implementation of the non-proliferation obligations under the NPT. 

We call on all NPT States Parties which have not done so to conclude the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol.   

On the situation on the Korean peninsula, Singapore welcomes the resumption of inter-Korean talks and other significant developments, including the high level talks between the DPRK, the US and China. 

We hope these developments will create favourable conditions that will lead to peace and stability, and the eventual denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

We also urge the DPRK to fully comply with its obligations under all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, and to return to the NPT.

Singapore takes our obligations under the UNSC resolutions on the DPRK seriously, and will continue to implement them assiduously.

We have also continuously stepped-up our counter-proliferation efforts.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been implemented for more than two years.

The IAEA has verified that Iran has been implementing its nuclear-related commitments. 

We also welcome Iran’s continued provisional application of the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement, pending its entry into force.

The unravelling of the JCPOA will undermine the nuclear non-proliferation regime and multilateralism more broadly. 

We urge all relevant parties to remain committed to the JCPOA, and to continue honouring their undertakings under the JCPOA. 

We also call on Iran to continue its full cooperation with the IAEA on all issues related to their safeguards undertakings. 

This will reassure the international community of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. 

Singapore supports the establishment of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones as part of regional efforts towards a nuclear weapon-free world. 

We are pleased to note that this year marks the 21^st year since the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) treaty entered into force. 

We regret that the Conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other WMD, as mandated by the 2010 NPT RevCon, has not been convened.

We call on all parties to overcome their differences and work together to break this stalemate.

Mr Chairman,

Singapore supports the right of all States Parties to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology under Article IV of the NPT. 

We strongly support, and have contributed to, the IAEA’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” mandate and its Technical Cooperation Programme to help developing countries to attain their developmental targets, in particular the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   

The responsible development of peaceful applications of nuclear technology must however be carried out in a safe, secure, and safeguarded manner.  

Singapore therefore supports the IAEA’s efforts to strengthen the international nuclear safety and security regime through its programmes and activities.

Mr Chairman,

Despite these challenges, our view is that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime. 

The consequences of the NPT losing its relevance and credibility will ultimately be borne by all of us.

We must therefore spare no effort to preserve and strengthen the NPT, and work towards its universalisation. 

The Preparatory Committee Meetings leading to the 2020 NPT Review Conference are opportunities to renew our commitment to strengthen the NPT.

We hope that all States Parties could engage each other constructively and in the spirit of cooperation in this meeting.  

This would enhance the prospects of a successful and substantive outcome for the 2020 NPT Review Conference, which would be a fitting way to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Treaty. 

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