Madam Chair,

I congratulate you on your appointment as Chair of this Committee and assure you of my delegation’s full support.

We associate ourselves with the statements and substantive recommendations of the NAM, ASEAN and the NPDI with respect to this Pillar. In our national capacity, we wish to stress the following:

1. The Philippines is committed to the nuclear non-proliferation regime, which is not only a pillar of the NPT but is also a key component of the rules-based global governance framework that keeps our world safe and secure.
2. We attach high importance to the transparency and confidence-building measures under the IAEA safeguards system. It provides guarantees that nuclear material remains exclusively under peaceful uses and is not diverted into the production of nuclear weapons. In line with our commitment to observing the highest standards of non-proliferation, we have concluded and continue to implement in full both a comprehensive safeguards agreement and an additional protocol, pursuant to our respective obligations under the NPT, the Bangkok Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). 
3. We underscore the importance of Member States’ full compliance with their respective NPT and safeguards obligations, including the provision of complete and correct declarations and of utmost cooperation with and support to the IAEA in the fulfillment of its verification and monitoring functions.
4. We urge all non-nuclear-weapon States Parties to the NPT who have yet to conclude a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA to do so, in accordance with Article III of the Treaty.  We likewise invite States who have not yet concluded an additional protocol to consider doing so to provide the international community assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material, facilities and activities.

Madam Chair,

5. Strategic trade management is critical in complying with non-proliferation obligations. It provides structure for supporting and benefiting from professional, expert-driven, and predictable multilateral export control regimes. We have enacted our Strategic Trade Management Act, and established our Strategic Trade Management Office in 2015 in fulfillment of our non-proliferation obligations, including U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540, which the Philippines co-authored

Madam Chair,

6. We remain concerned about the DPRK’s recent ballistic missile tests and reported preparations for a new round of possible nuclear tests, which threaten to undermine a new peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, the entire region, and the world. We urge the DPRK to return to full compliance with the NPT and its IAEA safeguards agreement.
7. The JCPOA is a key non-proliferation instrument that contributes to our broader goal of international peace and security. We continue to support ongoing diplomatic efforts to preserve and restore this landmark agreement to its full implementation status. We support the IAEA’s role in verifying the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.
8. We remain seized of discussions at the IAEA Board of Governors regarding the safeguards implications of naval nuclear propulsion. It is important that the international community is provided assurances that the NPT and all safeguards commitments are being observed to the fullest extent possible.

Madam Chair,

While Non-Nuclear Weapon States like the Philippines are committed to the highest standards of nuclear non-proliferation, including safeguards, this obligation is predicated upon the legal, political, moral, and ethical commitment of Nuclear Weapon States  and undertaking to pursue nuclear disarmament and to refrain from the threat or use of nuclear weapons. In this context, we wish to emphasize the following:

1. Nuclear Weapon States must – without further delay – undertake effective, universal, unconditional, non-discriminatory, irrevocable and legally-binding security assurances to Non-Nuclear Weapon States. The regrettable decision of some Nuclear Weapon States to upgrade the role of nuclear forces in their security doctrines, the lack of transparency in declaring their nuclear weapons stockpiles, and the continued risks of instability in the geopolitical environment, including in the Asia-Pacific region,  as well as in Europe, particularly in Ukraine, demand that Nuclear Weapon States issue such assurances without conditions. ^[1]
2. Nuclear Weapons Free Zones are the building blocks of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation framework. There must be stronger cooperation and coordination between these zones and the Nuclear Weapon States. Nuclear Weapons States must accede to the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone treaties including the Bangkok Treaty and its relevant protocols. The 1995 Resolution on the Middle East, which provides for the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the region, must be implemented.^[2]

Thank you, Madam Chair.