GUIDANCE: REMARKS FOR DISARMAMENT THEMATIC

UNCLAS STATE 122941 SIPDIS USUN FOR GERMAIN AND RENEAU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM UNSC CS SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: REMARKS FOR DISARMAMENT THEMATIC DEBATE, NOVEMBER 19 ¶1. USUN is authorized to use para. 2 remarks in the Costa Rica-sponsored thematic debate on the regulation and reduction of armaments, November 19, 2008. ¶2. Begin text: Mr. President, I would like to thank the Costa Rican delegation for bringing us together for a discussion of this important subject. Costa Rica's dedication to fostering peace through the promotion of disarmament is well known, as is the personal commitment of President Arias. We are honored by his presence. The United States recognizes the UN's role in promoting the maintenance of international peace and security and the responsibilities of all UN Member States in that regard. To that end, the United States has long taken a leading role in promoting arms reduction and fighting proliferation, particularly of weapons of mass destruction. The United States recognizes that multilateral engagement is an important tool in curbing armaments and in blocking weapons proliferators. Treaties, such as the NPT, can play a role, but so can voluntary associations. In 2003, the United States launched the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),a dynamic, active approach to the global proliferation problem. Today, over 90 participating member states work voluntarily and in concert, employing their national capabilities to develop a broad range of legal, diplomatic, economic, military, and other tools to interdict threatening shipments of weapons of mass destruction and missile-related equipment and technologies. The United States also participates alongside 39 other states in the Wassenaar Arrangement, a voluntary export control regime that governs both conventional weapons and dual use items. We hope that additional states would join the United States in participating in PSI and in adopting the Wassenaar Arrangement's export control list. The United States has also taken a leading role in reducing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons through its assistance programs such as destruction, stockpile security, and marking of weapons. Of course, action within the United Nations is also important. The U.S., for its part, has introduced a resolution in the current session of the General Assembly that reaffirms member states' commitment to full compliance with arms control agreements and commitments. The UN has also developed a Program of Action on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and produced a consensus report, including recommendations of experts, on verification in all its aspects. More specifically, the Security Council has a role to play as well. Security Council Resolution 1540 is an unprecedented initiative and a good example of the type of contribution the UN can make to promoting international cooperation in the area of nonproliferation. While the scope of the resolution includes terrorist activities, it was designed to address the full-range of proliferation activity, including non-state actors that provide proliferation-related services. The resolution also places requirements on UN Member States to take specific measures to criminalize activities that can contribute to or support proliferation activities. The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 has an important role to play in promoting implementation of the resolution. In addition, the resolution advances the economic interests of nations seeking to be key global economic suppliers of goods and services. The United States and several other states have extensive programs that can help member nations implement Resolution 1540, and we stand ready to do more. We believe the Council can play a role in bolstering these and other efforts, not least by calling on States to live up to their obligations under Council decisions. Reduction of armaments remains an important goal for many UN member states and can, in the right circumstances, maintain and even increase security in many areas of the world. END TEXT RICE