Indonesia Calls for Real Action to Encourage Nuclear Disarmament

Genevaa, MINA – Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi attended the Conference on Disarmament meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday. During the meeting, she urged countries to take real action to encourage nuclear disarmament.

“Without real firm action, a nuclear disaster is only a matter of time, and this risk is getting bigger as the rivalries between the big powers sharpen,” said the Foreign Minister.

Nuclear disarmament efforts have stalled for more than a quarter of a century due to a lack of political will, the complexity of the global security situation, and a lingering Cold War mentality.

In order to encourage progress on nuclear disarmament, the Foreign Minister conveyed three things that needed to be done.

First, reviving political will. There must be real action taken to achieve nuclear disarmament. The main focus that needs to be encouraged is Negative Security Assurances (NSA) which are legally binding.

NSA is a guarantee that countries possessing nuclear weapons will not use or threaten the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.

This will be an incentive for countries that have complied with their obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and increase mutual trust between countries possessing and non- possessing nuclear weapons.

Second, strengthening the architecture of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. This is done, among other things, through the universalization of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Indonesia is currently finalizing the ratification process, and expects other countries to ratify it soon.

In addition, the use of nuclear for peaceful purposes must be strictly guarded so that it is not diverted into weapons.

Third, facilitating compliance with a nuclear weapon-free zone. Nuclear weapons free zones are an important element in efforts to achieve global nuclear disarmament.

“As Chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia will continue to advance a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Southeast Asia region,” said the Foreign Minister. This will be done by seeking the signing of the Nuclear-Free Zone Protocol in Southeast Asia. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)