Intervention by the Permanent Representative of the Argentine Republic, Amb. Martín García Moritán

October 6

Dear Members of the Panel, dear colleagues

I would like to thank the US Delegation for organizing this meeting.

 

We have high expectations for the Plenary Meeting in Buenos Aires, which will mark the conclusion of the first phase of the IPNDV's work, and will therefore provide an opportunity to work towards the objectives of the second phase. We look forward to the dissemination and publication of the main results achieved by the working groups, and we are convinced that this will strengthen the Initiative in the coming years.

We are aware of the current context in terms of international security. This is why the discussions around nuclear disarmament verification and the willingness of the international community to address this issue constitute a positive aspect in a framework of constant challenges.

It is not an easy task because, although some attempts have been made towards the design of a nuclear disarmament verification scheme, it is still very clear from a technical point of view that this task entails complex challenges towards the advancement of concrete measures.

Therefore, we welcome the instance created by the IPNDV, which we understand as a shared effort between possessors and non-possessors, in order to move forward a constructive dialogue on nuclear disarmament verification.

From the perspective of a Non-Nuclear Weapons State, we believe the IPNDV also constitutes an opportunity to create bridges between possessors and non-possessors, through the recognition of the existence of different positions on nuclear disarmament and avoiding, at the same time, further deepening the existing divisions.
We believe that the central message that the Initiative will seek to spread in the Buenos Aires Plenary, is extremely encouraging: in the presence of available technologies ­­–as well as of those that could potentially be developed− there are no reasons that prevent us from carrying out a multilateral monitoring of the dismantlement of nuclear warheads. This message should mark our work for the next two years.
The IPNDV also offers to possessors of nuclear weapons an opportunity to demonstrate a greater commitment towards disarmament in a transparent, irreversible and verifiable manner, in light of the commitments made under Article VI of the NPT, and seeking to reaffirm the NPT as the cornerstone of the multilateral nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

On the other hand, IPNDV's efforts are an interesting asset to interact with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 71/67, which calls for the creation of a group of 25 Governmental Experts to consider the role of verification in the advancement of nuclear disarmament that will meet in Geneva in 2018 and 2019.

We hope to continue the exchange of views on this very important issue in our mutual aspiration for a world free of nuclear weapons, where verification plays an essential role.