Indonesia: Nuclear Weapons Must Be Totally Destroyed
New York, MINA – Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi emphasized that the only way to prevent misuse and eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to destroy them completely and completely.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed this when attending a High Level Plenary Meeting to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States on Tuesday. At this meeting, he delivered a joint statement from ASEAN and the Indonesian government.
“ASEAN remains committed to encouraging global efforts for weapons disarmament and non-proliferation. “However, ASEAN is worried that countries’ commitment to fulfilling their obligations will diminish,” said Retno on behalf of ASEAN.
Therefore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs called on countries to comply with and fulfill their obligations to various international agreements, including: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons(NPT), Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The NPT is the ‘cornerstone’ or main reference for countries in global efforts for nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Therefore, strong political will is needed to maintain the integrity and implement this Treaty effectively.
“ASEAN calls on countries possessing nuclear weapons to fulfill their commitments and obligations as mandated by the NPT,” said Retno.
During this meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also conveyed ASEAN’s position which strongly rejects nuclear tests, as stated in the Nuclear Weapons Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). ASEAN calls on countries to comply with the Treaty, and encourages countries that have not yet signed and ratified this treaty to do so immediately.
Closing this ASEAN Joint Statement, the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed the importance of implementing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a whole.
“ASEAN continues to be committed to creating a Southeast Asian region free from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction,” stressed the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, in his national statement, the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed two important things that needed to be done, namely:
First, create a world free from nuclear weapons. Therefore, the total elimination of nuclear weapons must be carried out and must be included in the important global agenda, including through the New Agenda for Peace proposed by the UN Secretary General in strengthening multilateralism and creating peace.
Second, ensuring the right to develop and utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Therefore, close collaboration is needed in utilizing nuclear technology, including for agriculture, health and industry. This use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes will contribute significantly to achieving the SDGs by 2030.
“That way, the ‘Doomsday Clock’ needle does not need to reach midnight,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Indonesia ratified and became a party to the NPT in 1978 and the CTBT in 2012. Currently, Indonesia is completing the TPNW ratification process.
The High Level Plenary Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is held every year to increase public awareness regarding the threat posed by nuclear weapons and the need for total elimination of nuclear weapons. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
