Excellencies and distinguished delegates,

My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered by Indonesia on behalf of NAM and by Brunei Darussalam on behalf of ASEAN.

The international and regional components of the global governance regime are equally important to the enduring stability of an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order that is governed by international law and informed by the principles of equity and of justice. This holds true in the area of disarmament and security.

Regional dynamics and the development of mechanisms and institutions to manage regional security architectures should inform the development of international norms. In our region, the centrality of ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms has facilitated confidence-building and regional cooperation in a manner that is inclusive and responsive to region-specific nuances.

Mister Chair,

We remain committed to regional cooperation within the framework of ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanism, including in the area of CBRN response and nuclear risk reduction. We recall the successful conduct of the ARF Table-Top Exercise on Response Capabilities to CBRN Incidents held in Manila on 13-15 June this year, as well as the virtual ARF workshop on nuclear risk reduction that the Philippines co-organized with Australia on 25 November 2020.

We reiterate the importance of mine action in national rehabilitation and sustainable development and welcome efforts to promote mine action at both global and regional level. We commend the role of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center as a center of excellence in promoting ASEAN’s efforts to address the issue of explosive remnants of war. While we appreciate the support of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and external partners in this regard, we reiterate that assistance on mine action must be undertaken with the view to developing independent national capacities of affected states.

In their Joint Communique issued in August this year, ASEAN Foreign Ministers noted the ongoing multilateral discussions on emerging issues involving international peace and security, including in outer space. ASEAN has been actively participating in the work of the Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats.

Mister Chair,

We reiterate our commitment to preserving Southeast Asia as a region free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Together with ASEAN Member States, we reaffirm our commitment to continuously engage Nuclear Weapon States and intensify the ongoing efforts of all parties to resolve outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Bangkok Treaty. We support the exploration of wars to bridge differences, including the possibility of engaging with experts from Nuclear Weapon States.

We encourage all Nuclear Weapon States to continue to conduct dialogue between and among them and with Non-Nuclear Weapon States with the view to rapidly agreeing and implementing concrete measures of progress and targets to ensure further reduction in global stockpile of all types of nuclear weapons with the view to eliminating them completely, and to reduce the risk of nuclear weapons use. This must be done through every channel possible, including bilateral or trilateral consultation mechanism. 

We affirm that global and regional approaches to disarmament complement each other and should therefore be pursued simultaneously to promote regional and international peace and security. This complementarity, however, is a two-way street. Regional measures must also be complemented with adherence to global norms and frameworks. In the area of nuclear weapons, we therefore underscore that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the global disarmament, non-proliferation, and peaceful uses regime. We call on all parties to accede to this treaty and to engage in meaningful dialogue towards a world without nuclear weapons.

Thank you, Mister Chair.