Statement by the Delegation of Thailand

H.E. Mr. Sek Wannamethee,

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN in Geneva

at the General Debate

for the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee

for the 2020 NPT Review Conference,

23 April 2018, Geneva

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Mr. Chair,

1.      The Kingdom of Thailand congratulates you on your assumption as Chair of the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT. With your able guidance and leadership, I am confident that we will achieve a successful conclusion to this meeting for further dialogue at the Review Conference in 2020. I also wish to congratulate Ambassador Yaakob of Malaysia as Chair of the Third Session.

2.      Thailand aligns itself with the statement made by the distinguished Ambassador of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) States Parties to the NPT.

Mr. Chair,

3.       As we approach the 2020 Review Conference, which will also mark the 50^th anniversary of this important treaty, we must take stock of what we have accomplished and use them on how best to move forward the Review Conference, as well as the NPT itself, to a success.

4.       For Thailand, that process of reflection has yielded a number of results. First, we must always remember that the NPT comprises of 3 pillars: nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and peaceful use of nuclear energy. It is our firm belief that these three pillars must be addressed in a balanced manner.

5.       Thailand believes that States Parties share equal responsibility in the implementation of the NPT and all of its provisions. And for the NPT to work as deemed “a cornerstone of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation”, we call on all States Parties to honor and implement their obligations and commitments under the NPT in full and without delay.

6.       We also attach great importance on the inalienable rights of all States Parties to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination, as stipulated in Article IV. We take pride and pains to apply the concepts of nuclear security, safety, and safeguards in exercising these inalienable rights. The use of nuclear technology must be accompanied by the assurances that it is used exclusively for peaceful purposes. Therefore, we welcome strengthened safeguards to warrant such assurances. We also welcome transparency and confidence-building measures by nuclear-weapon States that ensure and mark their progress in the nuclear weapons reduction and disarmament process, with Article III of the NPT in mind.

Mr. Chair,

7.       Thailand recognizes 2017 as a year of historic success as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was adopted on July 7^th. The TPNW reflects our determination to fulfill the NPT’s Article VI in good faith. It is purposefully designed to complement the NPT. As among the first Ratifying States to the TPNW, Thailand wishes to encourage our partners to consider our views on the TPNW and engage constructively in the dialogue and decisions toward its entry into force. Just as disarmament and non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing, the NPT and the TPNW can both prosper working together hand in hand.

8.       At the regional level, Thailand is a depositary state of the South East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) or the Bangkok Treaty. Thailand supports the establishment of nuclear weapon-free zones in all regions. We also call on all parties concerned to support the early consultations on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, as stipulated in Article VII and mandated by the 2010 NPT Review Conference. We believe that positive progress on this matter will be a crucial success for the 2020 Review Conference.

Mr. Chair,

9.       Taking stock also means looking back at the outcomes of previous Review Conferences and evaluating our performances which brought us to those conclusions, or lack thereof. The failure to produce a substantive consensus outcome document at the 2015 Review Conference should serve as a wake up call of the extra effort needed for a meaningful and credible Review Conference in 2020.

10.    Furthermore, we must ensure that the process for the NPT, as well as the treaty’s raison d’etre, place people at the center. The very first clause in its preamble brings up “the devastation that would be visited upon all mankind by a nuclear war and the consequent need to make every effort to avert the danger of such a war and to take measures to safeguard the security of the peoples.” This is a clear indication that a humanitarian view should be taken when we pursue our work in the NPT.

11.    Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament should also involve and be implemented by the people. Civil society, industry, and academia are all stakeholders in this implementation endeavor and must be given seats and voices at the table. If provided with the opportunity to be engaged, not only can these stakeholders, in turn, bring diversified perspectives to the conversation, but they can also inject fresh energy, ideas and resolve to the cause. Thailand therefore appreciates the role and contribution of civil societies in pursuing the disarmament agenda in good faith. We have seen the progress these stakeholders can bring about. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’ (ICAN) efforts toward the negotiation and adoption of the TPNW is certainly one example that comes to mind. We should harness that power to also give momentum to the NPT.

12.    In addition, Thailand greatly values its close relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and engagement with other international agencies and frameworks, like the Nuclear Security Contact Group, the CTBTO, and the UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004). We support such cooperation efforts as they can further strengthen the NPT and more effectively advance the goal of international peace and security.

Mr. Chair,

13.    We are all concerned with today’s ever-changing security landscape. On the tensions in the Korean Peninsula, we welcome the renewed willingness for dialogue between the relevant stakeholders. But the threat of nuclear weapons in our region still remains. It is necessary for the NPT to be relevant, forceful, and dynamic in order to help us address such threats, as well as anticipate those we may face in the future. If we can take our reflections from this Preparatory Committee and turn them into actions, we will surely be better placed to tackle such security challenges.

14.    On an even wider scale, there are clear connections between disarmament, peace and security, and development, as one makes room for the next. If the international community hopes to realize the Sustainable Development Goals, achieving peace and security through disarmament and non-proliferation is certainly a requisite factor to which the NPT can contribute. And as the IAEA can attest, the peaceful applications of nuclear technology can benefit food security, public health, water management, energy, and many other global issues. These potential positive contributions to the SDGs should inspire us to work harder to realize a successful NPT. 

15.    Thailand hopes that we will have substantive and fruitful deliberations during this Preparatory Committee, with constructive and open participation from all States Parties, as we work toward our common goal of international peace and security and a world free from nuclear weapons.

I thank you, Mr. Chair.