FM Idrissov: Nuclear-Weapons-Free World Concept Supported by UN

Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov called the adoption “a landmark for the entire international community,” in an interview with The Astana Times.

It was especially important for citizens of Kazakhstan, a country that has suffered greatly from the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, to see Nazarbayev promote making a world without nuclear weapons humanity’s ultimate goal in the 21^st century from the UN podium, Idrissov said. “Adopting the Universal Declaration for the Achievement of a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World is a new, important step in realising this goal. … I believe that the general principles and obligations established in the document, already supported by the community of nations, can and must become a bridge between different and sometimes opposing views on the future shape of a world without nuclear weapons.”

However, not all countries are ready to disarm. “Despite the fact that the Universal Declaration was developed as a consensus document based on universally accepted principles and earlier agreements, it is evident that at this stage, not all countries are ready to support it,” Idrissov acknowledged. Nuclear weapons countries and their defence allies are not ready to renounce their weapons. More work is needed.

“In the coming years, we expect a long process of universalizing the declaration. It is particularly important to conduct targeted work with those countries that did not support the declaration, to convince them to change their position.” Reconfirming the resolution every three years and creating a reporting mechanism for states to the UN and for the UN Secretariat to the General Assembly on the implementation of the goals has been suggested, Idrissov said. Reconfirming the declaration’s principles will help keep the international community focused on the declaration and keep the idea a nuclear-weapon-free world on the UN agenda.

Nuclear countries have objected in particular at establishing time frames for disarming. “The logic is simple – without defining time frames for the elimination of nuclear weapons, they will be there indefinitely. … Nuclear countries think that it is unrealistic to set time frames for nuclear disarmament. At the same time, non-nuclear countries completely disagree with such approaches and demand concrete time frames to save humankind from nuclear weapons,” Idrissov explained. “The declaration reflects a balanced and realistic approach. Recognising the necessity of having a structured nuclear disarmament process, it does not set concrete time periods, which is unrealistic today, but at the same time acknowledges that time frames for nuclear disarmament must be agreed upon with countries.”

The declaration notes the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons as one of the most important reasons for abolishing them, Idrissov said. Another reason is that such weapons are obsolete, rooted in a Cold War mentality that has no relevance to today’s world.

“The only guarantee of security is total and universal nuclear disarmament,” said the foreign minister. “Continuing to invoke the importance of nuclear weapons and their indefinite preservation will only make them spread further. If we do not start to disarm, the number of nuclear-weapon possessors will rise dramatically. … Today, when the world has become multipolar, nuclear weapons are increasingly used as an argument to solve regional problems, become a factor of regional deterrence, a means of promoting political and geopolitical interests. All this increases the risk of using nuclear weapons.”

It is not only governments who can support the movement to a nuclear-weapons-free world, Idrissov said. “Today, civil society, social movements and public opinion in general have a significant impact on certain political decision-making processes. … Civil society has played a significant role in bringing environmental issues, climate change and sustainable development to the forefront of the global agenda. It can make nuclear disarmament a priority for governments.”

The author is Kazakhstan Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov.

The article is available at https://www.mfa.gov.kz/index.php/ru/astana-calling/12-material-orys/5876-astana-calling-427-3770