Statement by the Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations, Ambassador Martin Garcia Moritán
August 23, 2016
Mr. Chair,
First of all, I want to express my appreciation to the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations, Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim for conveying this Open Meeting of the Security Council, which offers Member States the opportunity to share their comments on the review process of the resolution 1540 (2004) of the Security Council. This debate encourages the transparency and inclusivity which demands such a relevant instrument for the unification of the standards in the field of Non-Proliferation.
The United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, has expressed in several opportunities that the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction is a threat to international peace and security.
The Security Council sent a clear message in 2004 with the adoption of resolution 1540 (2004), which offered a response to the growing risk that Weapons of Mass Destruction could fall into the hands of and be used by non-state actors.
This resolution marked a milestone by putting all the Member States on equal footing in the field of non-proliferation for the very first time, establishing common standards for the national export control of sensitive technology.
Since the adoption of the resolution, Argentina celebrated this consensus in the Security Council because it strengthened the capacity of multilateral institutions and consolidated the United Nations as the appropriate forum to give response to the challenges to international security.
Mr. Chair,
Argentina submitted its first report on 26 October 2004 and on successive updates – the last of which is currently being elaborated – has expressed its unavoidable commitment with the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, being up to the moment the only Latin American country which is part of the five Multilateral Export Control Regime (Australia Group, Anger Committee, Nuclear Supplier Group [NSG], Wassenaar Arrangement and Missile Technology Control Regime [MTCR]).
La República Argentina está convencida de que un sistema de control de exportaciones efectivo se debe sustentar sobre cuatro pilares fundamentales: (1) un sistema nacional de otorgamiento de licencias transparente y estandarizado; (2) el cumplimiento efectivo o enforcement de la legislación vigente aplicable al control de exportaciones; (3) la promoción de la conciencia empresaria acerca de la importancia de este sistema para el desarrollo industrial y para la seguridad del comercio internacional y (4) una estrecha cooperación regional.
The Argentine Republic is convinced that an effective export control regime should be based on four pillars:
(1) a transparent and standardized national system for granting licenses;
(2) enforcement of the applicable legislation in relation to export control;
(3) promotion businessman awareness among the importance of these systems for industrial development and safety of international trade; and
(4) close regional cooperation.
In relation to our region, it is important to highlight the unswerving commitment with non-proliferation of Latin American and Caribbean countries, who have been pioneers in establishing a zone free of weapons of mass destruction.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of Mendoza, signed on 5 September 1991 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, later subscribed also by Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay, by means of which these countries committed themselves to refrain from developing, producing, stockpiling, transferring or using chemical and biological weapons.
Resolution 1540 has been an opportunity to deepen the cooperation among the Latin American and Caribbean countries in order to all the countries of the region can access to the technology and to the required capacity to give a response to the threat of non-state actors.
Argentina offers assistance and training for the identification of sensitive items not only to the regional and sub-regional level but also to the African countries in the framework of South-South cooperation. Our commitment with our region is unavoidable; Argentina will continue offering assistance to those countries which request it.
Mr. Chair,
Argentina understands the Global Review of the application of resolution 1540 (2004) from a two-fold perspective: first, the respect for the right to development and peaceful use of advanced technologies; and second, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, whether nuclear, chemical or biological, their means of delivery and related technologies.
Argentina reassures the sovereign right to the development of advanced and sensitive technologies such as nuclear, chemical, biological and pharmaceutical technologies, as well as nanotechnologies, with coordination between government and private sector as an instrument to achieve the development of our industries.
At the same time, it actively cooperates with the actions of the international community in the field of disarmament with a view to achieve a world free of weapons of mass destruction and the principle of absolute prohibition of their developing, stockpiling, acquiring or transferring.
As a country strongly committed with the non-proliferation and elimination of Weapon of Mass Destruction, Argentina celebrates this Global Review Process on the application of the resolution 1540 (2004) with a view to set the foundations for continuing joining efforts to address the risk of the acquisition by non-state actors of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related technologies.
Thank you very much.