Thank you, Madame President.

The Philippines is indeed proud to see a distinguished member of ASEAN in the Presidency of

the Security Council for the month of August.

The Philippines congratulates the Malaysian presidency for convening this open debate that

will deepen our discourse on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Madame President,

The prevailing global security environment characterized by persistent inter- and intra-state

conflicts, as well as the frequency of violent extremist activities, makes it even more incumbent

upon us to find urgent and concrete measures that will ensure that weapons of mass

destruction (WMDs) not only do propagate, but that they are also never used.

The mere existence of these destructive weapons make the world highly vulnerable to their

use, whether by intent, miscalculation, or accident. It is therefore imperative to stay focused on

the ultimate goal of ridding the world of these weapons.

The international community has achieved great strides in the area of non-proliferation, with

the adoption and implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1540 and other related

initiatives such as the Nuclear Security Summit process which complement other existing

global legal instruments.

The changing face of international conflict, however, necessitates tougher measures and

stronger international cooperation that will guarantee each individual State's effective

implementation.

In this regard, we welcome the open consultations on the Comprehensive Review of the Status

of Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 convened by Spain last June. We

look forward to the outcome of the Review in December when we have identified and

recommended ways and means to improve the resolution's implementation.

UNSCR 1540 encourages all States to prepare, on a voluntary basis, national implementation

action plans (NAPs). More than a decade since the resolution's adoption, we have come to

realize that the NAP is a vital, indispensable tool if States are to be fully prepared to address

the proliferation of WMDs.

 

The Philippines has its own National Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)

Action Plan aimed at reducing the threat of, and damage from, CBRN incidents of accidental,

natural, and intentional origin, including terrorist acts.

Our CBRN National Action Plan offers a unified approach to build the capacity of the Philippines

to respond to the risks associated with CBRN materials.

To further make our CBRN NAP more effective, we recently signed into law a bill to further

strengthen our regime against the proliferation of WMDs in our territory. The Strategic Trade

Management Act will stop the spread of WMDs through responsible management of trade and

investment in strategic goods and the provisions of related services.

We consider strategic goods as products that, for security reasons or due to international

agreements, are considered to be of such military importance that their export is either

prohibited altogether or subject to specific conditions as such goods are generally suitable to

be used for military purposes or for the production of WMDs.

The law requires having a National Strategic Goods List (NSGL) to describe with specificity the

strategic goods subject to authorization. The List shall be in conformity with international

commitments and non-proliferation obligations pursuant to bilateral and multilateral treaties,

international conventions and international non-proliferation regimes.

Madame. President,

Many Member States have pointed to the necessity of international and regional cooperation

as key in our fight against WMDs.

For countries that do not yet have the highest level of detection capability to intercept WMDs,

continuous assistance on training and resources from regional and international partners will

be essential.

We also urge the 1540 Committee to have an improved match-making system to ensure prompt

and effective response to requests for assistance.

Finally, Madame President,

The Philippines, together with 14 other Member States, have banded together to further

promote CBRN risk mitigation and security governance in the United Nations.

In late September, the Group of Friends of CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance,

will host a high-level side event that will focus on CBRN Risk Mitigation in the Context of

Combatting Terrorism.

The Group, which has grown to 15 in members, stands ready to work with the 1540 Committee

and other like-minded groups to focus the spotlight on the risks of CBRN materials falling into

the hands of terrorists. Thank you, Madame President.