Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the world leaders to set up nuclear weapon-free zones in South Asia and the Middle East. “Nuclear disarmament is a crucial issue for the survival of humanity and of our planet. I would, therefore, urge you all to renounce nuclear weapons, and to seek security and prosperity through the empowerment of people,” she said while addressing the Plenary Session of the High Level Meeting of the General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament at the Trusteeship Council Chamber of the UN Headquarters.
Prime Minister said that the Conference on Disarmament takes another step towards creating a universal legal instrument to codify assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. These steps could stop nuclear weapon proliferation and rid the risk of those falling in the hands of terrorists.
Hasina said, “Another step should be the establishment, as an interim measure, of nuclear weapon-free zones as in South Asia and the Middle East.”
“These are possible with the ratification by the nuclear weapon states, of the related protocols to all treaties establishing such zones,” she said adding that these initial steps could be the beginning of diversion of colossal resources for nuclear weapons development and production to eradicate poverty and hunger and ensuring socio-economic development of mankind as a whole.
Living in close proximity to three nuclear powers, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh has good reasons to worry about these vicious weapons.
“Bangladesh believes that nuclear weapons can’t guarantee the ultimate security and peace. These can, on the other hand, be guaranteed by people enlightened through education, socio-economic progress, and preservation of democratic values, and realisation of human faculties by peaceful means,” she added.
Hasina said there is no doubt that a price has to be paid for the promotion and the maintenance of peace. “But, we’re convinced that it’s much less than that of making nuclear weapons and fighting a war with these, and then going for peace.”
The Prime Minister said the Conference on Disarmament deadlocked for decades, could then move forward easily to conclude a non-discriminatory, internationally and effectively verifiable Treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons as well as possession of the same.
She said a world of contented and happy people would outright reject the acts of aggression, discover unity in their diversity, and embrace the culture of peace and fraternity. “It’s in this perspective that Bangladesh has been tabling resolution on the ‘Culture of Peace’ at every UNGA session.
Terming Nuclear Disarmament as a crucial issue for the survival of humanity and of the planet, the premier said that the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shook the conscience of mankind and led to the adoption by the United Nations, soon after its creation, of its first resolution envisioning a world free of nuclear weapons. Sixty-seven years have since passed and the resolution seems as inadequate as ever, she added.
Hasina said nuclear weapons are still being honed to make them more deadly, and still being stockpiled in large numbers. A suicidal psyche for self-extinction seems to possess a prominent segment of the mankind without any thought of their progeny.
“We’re proud that our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, like many others, realised this danger and in his historic speech before this Assembly in 1974 appealed to spare the world from the scourge of nuclear war,” Hasina added.
Mentioning that the day’s meet would give all another chance to avoid the catastrophe, she questioned, “Should we move towards a world haunted by the fear of decimation or towards a world of peace, security and socio-economic development enriching human civilisation with our ever increasing knowledge and discoveries?”
“We, the 185 non-nuclear weapon countries are unanimous in opting for the latter. Yet a handful of nuclear weapon states, insensitive to the security of the majority, tragically continue to choose the path of destruction,” she said.
The Prime Minister also opined that valuable resources that could feed and provide decent lives to the deprived humanity are still being used to create yet more sophisticated nuclear weapons having power to annihilate the mankind and the world.
“Could we for a brief moment ponder on the kind of world that we wish to leave for our children and grandchildren? If we do, a universal and spontaneous response would be to do away with all nuclear weapons, and establishment of a nuclear free world,” Hasina added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has signed the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) to the Convention on Prohibitions of Restrictions on the use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2003 adopted the landmark Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), regulating the international trade in conventional arms, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships to foster peace and security by putting a top to destabilizing arms flows in the world.
The Protocol V is designed to alleviate the humanitarian impact of ERW in the post-conflict period. So far 82 statessigned the Protocol V, which entered into force on N ovember 12 in 2006.
-With The Independent input
