UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for the engagement of states in talks for a Middle East zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

"Serious deliberations on a Middle East zone free of nuclear, chemical and other weapons of mass destruction would be an opportunity for the states of the region to engage in direct dialogue on arrangements that could address their security requirements," he told the opening of the first session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction.

"I, therefore, hope this conference will serve as the start of an inclusive process in which all the states of the region can participate."

The significance of a prospective Middle East zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction extends far beyond the region, he noted.

Numerous consensus resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly have invited all parties to consider the appropriate means that may contribute to the goal of general and complete disarmament and the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, said Guterres. "I hope all participants in this conference heed this invitation, which should provide a basis to consider the concerns of all states."

There are five regional nuclear-weapon-free zones in the world -- in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific, he said.

Such zones put a permanent end to the possibility of nuclear conflict in a given region. They also provide tangible security benefits by giving their members assurances against the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons. At the same time, these zones can provide additional assurance to the global community of the peaceful nuclear intentions of the countries in these regions, said Guterres.

Such zones have offered a means for states to take the initiative and work together to advance their own common regional security, and have enabled groups of states to make independent contributions to the elaboration of global norms and facilitate progress in general negotiations on disarmament, he said.

"All these motives are salient to the region of the Middle East, where the overall situation remains a serious concern for the entire world."

Complex civil wars rage on, involving well-equipped non-state armed groups and terrorist organizations as well as regional and international military powers; concerns over nuclear programs persist and continue to drive tensions; the use of chemical weapons remains unpunished; there are signs of active arms competition, including the acquisition and use of new weapon technologies, said Guterres.

He asked states to take inspiration from the first successful proposal for a denuclearized zone in Latin America and the Caribbean just weeks after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Despite the tensions and politics of the Cold War, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean persevered and in 1967 established a flexible and durable arrangement, which has served as a model for all such successive zones, he said. "Let us be guided by their experience -- and those of other regions -- as we advance in all of our efforts across the disarmament agenda." Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)