This statement outlines the UK's ongoing support for the
Non Proliferation Treaty across the 3 pillars of disarmament,
non-proliferation, and peaceful uses.
From: Foreign, Commonwealth
& Development Office and Stephen Lillie CMG
Thank you Chair,
I would first like to congratulate you on your election, and to
extend the thanks of the United Kingdom's delegation to you and
to the secretariat for your efforts to deliver a constructive and
productive PrepCom.
This PrepCom marks the half-way point on the road to the 2026
Review Conference. It is an important opportunity to reflect on
the core principles that should guide our work. The rule of law
is the cornerstone of any just and prosperous society, and in an
increasingly connected world the importance of international
rules, multilateral institutions and political leadership cannot
be overstated.
For more than half a century, the NPT has been a
vital pillar of the international peace and security
architecture, and the rules based international order, in which
nations can thrive. The NPT provides the
only credible and sustainable route to multilateral nuclear
disarmament. It has created the non-proliferation framework that
has both limited the spread of nuclear weapons and enabled safe
access to nuclear technologies for peaceful uses. As a Government
that believes in the rule of law at home and internationally, the
United Kingdom remains as committed to its full implementation
and universalisation as we did when the Foreign Secretary,
Michael Stewart, signed it in 1968.
Chair,
This PrepCom takes place in an ever more unstable and dangerous
world. Global arms control is under huge strain. Russia's illegal
war of aggression against Ukraine, its irresponsible nuclear
rhetoric, and reckless endangering of nuclear power plants are
not the behaviours of a responsible nuclear weapons state. Iran
and the DPRK continue to undermine the non-proliferation
architecture and threaten international security. A lack of
transparency from other states, including China, on the nature
and extent of their nuclear programmes also fuels international
concern.
It is against this backdrop that now, more than ever, the first
duty of any responsible government must be to keep their nation
safe. My Prime Minister has made clear that for as long as others
have nuclear weapons, the UK will maintain a nuclear deterrent.
Our posture of minimum credible nuclear deterrence, assigned to
the defence of NATO, is a vital safeguard for the UK, our Allies,
and for maintaining global peace and security.
By the same token, it is at the moments of the greatest
geopolitical tension that efforts to reduce nuclear risk and
miscalculation are most important. The UK is taking practical
steps to reduce the risk of nuclear war and prepare for a future
where meaningful progress towards a world without nuclear weapons
is possible. We remain committed to the P5 nuclear process, which
was first proposed by the UK Defence Secretary, Desmond Browne,
in 2008. We will deepen our conversations with non-nuclear
weapons states, including in the Global South, and with civil
society; and continue to develop practical initiatives on
irreversibility, verification, transparency, and accountability.
Building a more secure environment is a collective
responsibility.
Chair,
The NPT also enables
the safe and secure exchange of transformative nuclear
technologies for peaceful uses. Alongside addressing energy
challenges, it can make a significant contribution to the UN
Sustainable Development Goals by supporting a range of
applications of nuclear technology in areas such as climate
change, agriculture, and health, that can help to protect our
planet and improve lives across the world.
The UK is pleased to champion the Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful
Uses, which aims to expand access to the peaceful applications of
nuclear science and technology, breaking down barriers to equal
access, to allow all states the opportunity to realise the
benefit of nuclear technology.
Robust non-proliferation, safety, and security standards enable
full access to those peaceful uses. The UK strongly supports
the IAEA's independence
and safeguards mandate. The IAEA plays a
critical role in verifying that nuclear material remains in
peaceful uses, as well as promoting global nuclear safety and
security. It is essential that all States Parties bring into
force full safeguards measures, including the Additional Protocol
as well as export controls, as key enablers of peaceful nuclear
trade.
As new technologies emerge, such as new reactor designs and novel
fuel types, we need to ensure that safeguards, safety and
security are implemented at the design phase.
Chair,
This approach embodies the Foreign Secretary's commitment to
progressive realism as the foundation of our foreign
policy. We are both realistic about the conditions we find
ourselves in, yet progressive in our commitment to the ultimate
goal of peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons.
We all have our part to play. The UK stands ready to play its
part, and calls on all states to work together, in good faith, to
lay the foundations for a successful Review Conference in 2026.
