The Foreign Minister Gives Iraq’s Speech at the High-level Session of the Conference on Disarmament

Foreign Minister Mr. Fuad Hussein delivered the speech of Iraq at the high-level session of the Conference on Disarmament, which was held virtually on 22/2/2021, in which he affirmed the Iraqi government’s adherence to disarmament and non-proliferation agreements and treaties, believing that universal accession to international agreements related to weapons of mass destruction and universal compliance with them without discrimination, and the elimination of these weapons is one of the main pillars that promote global peace and stability, noting that the spread of the Corona virus pandemic and its repercussions on various fields, reaffirms the importance of concerted action and efforts to address common challenges and threats.

Minister Fuad Hussein also reviewed Iraq’s position on the four issues on the agenda of the conference, namely (nuclear disarmament, the fissile material ban treaty, negative security guarantees, preventing an arms race in outer space), calling on all member states to show political will and flexibility to exit the conference from the stalemate its been through for more than two decades.

Minister Fuad Hussein also welcomed the recent agreement between Russia and the United States regarding the extension of the “New START” treaty for an additional five years considering that this step is towards further calmness and regional and global stability, stressing that this step is not a substitute for the main goal of the conference, which is nuclear disarmament in general.
The Minister also affirmed Iraq’s support for the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones around the world, calling on the international community to implement the 1995 Middle East Resolution, expressing disappointment over the failure of the last review conference of the 2015 Nonproliferation Treaty, and calling on the countries sponsoring the Middle East resolution to implement the commitments it made in establishing the free zone.

Minister Fuad Hussein added that moving forward to hold the conference in 2019 was an important step aimed at avoiding the negative impact of this issue on the review conference of the NPT in 2020.
The Minister also welcomed the results of the Conference on Establishing a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, which was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in November 2019.
In conclusion, the Minister expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the presidents of this year’s conference in their endeavors to restore the Conference on Disarmament to its real role in dealing with disarmament and non-proliferation issues, wishing them success in their duties.