Joint Nordic Statement delivered by Ms. Outi Hyvärinen
Director of Arms Control
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
First Committee on Disarmament - General Debate
7 October, 2024

It is an honour to address this Committee on behalf of the Nordic countries; Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and my own country Finland.

I would like to start by underlining the importance of defending, promoting and further strengthening the respect for international law, including the global architecture for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. This is even more essential now when the global security situation keeps deteriorating. 

The Russian Federation continues its illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. 

Russia continues using escalatory rhetoric and nuclear threats as ways of intimidation. Russia has increased tension by announcing deployment of nuclear weapons on Belarussian territory. In addition, Russia has revoked its ratification of the CTBT.

These and other Russian actions undermine severely European and global security and stability. They affect negatively the multilateral arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament architecture. 

The Nordic countries condemn again Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and demand it to immediately cease its military actions, withdraw its troops from the entire Ukraine and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders.

We are alarmed by the increased arms transfers between Russia and China, Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran respectively. These actions are deeply de-stabilising and contribute only to prolong the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. 

The war in Gaza is causing immense suffering among the civilian populations. The possibility of a larger regional conflict, with a negative impact on nuclear non-proliferation looms over the Middle East. The Nordic countries reaffirm our commitment to a just and comprehensive resolution of the situation, based on the two state solution. 

There are several other active inter- and intrastate conflicts going on around the globe, while we meet in New York. Every conflict holds a seed for proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and every conflict makes disarmament more difficult. 

It is evident that we must improve our common ability to address and solve conflicts and their negative impact on disarmament.  The UN Security Council can and must do better to fulfil its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.  

Madame Chair,

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty remains the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime, the essential foundation for nuclear disarmament and an essential element for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology. 

The second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference showed States Parties’ strong commitment to the Treaty. At the same time, it is clear that there are diverging priorities for the Treaty implementation. The Nordic countries remain fully committed to comprehensive implementation of all Treaty’s three interrelated pillars. We strive for concrete steps in nuclear disarmament, strengthened measures against proliferation and enhanced actions to advance peaceful uses in the 2026 NPT Review Conference.

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is an integral part of the nuclear disarmament architecture and key in the NPT implementation. We are encouraged by the many recent ratifications of the CTBT and deeply troubled by the withdrawal of Russia’s ratification. We urge countries outside the Treaty, in particular the remaining Annex II states, to sign and ratify the CTBT. The Nordic Countries are concerned about statements calling for resumption of nuclear testing and demand all States to abide by a moratorium on nuclear test explosions. 

Termination of fissile material production and eradication of existing stocks are essential steps in nuclear disarmament. We reaffirm our support for early negotiation and conclusion of a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. We urge, as a first step, all States concerned to declare and uphold a moratorium on the production of fissile material. 

Verification is an essential element of a nuclear disarmament process, and a credible multilateral verification regime in which all States have confidence will also be essential for achieving and maintaining a world without nuclear weapons. We commend the UN Group of Governmental Experts on nuclear disarmament verification, which successfully concluded its work last year. We encourage all States to participate in, and support, further discussions on the establishment of a Group of Scientific and Technical Experts (GSTE) on NDV. Such a GSTE-NDV would provide unique practical benefits in support of the long-term goal of nuclear disarmament and enable States to work collaboratively on NDV in a multilateral setting. 

The Nordic countries pledge our full and continued confidence in and support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency. We deplore efforts by some States to politicise and undermine the invaluable work of the Agency. 

The Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with an Additional Protocol is the current verification standard. The Additional Protocol provides the means for the IAEA to verify the peaceful nature of a country’s nuclear program. We urge all countries to conclude Additional Protocols to their agreements with the IAEA.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has endangered the safety and security of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. We condemn the Russian actions also in this respect and commend the efforts of the IAEA to ensure nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhya and other Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

The Nordic countries are concerned about Iran’s highly proliferation sensitive nuclear actitivities and its lack of cooperation with the IAEA. The Agency is currently not able to provide credible assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. We urge Iran to work with the IAEA towards full compliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement obligations. 

The nuclear and missile programs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remain a threat to regional and international peace and security. We are worried about the increased and opaque cooperation between Russia and the DPRK and the unwillingness of some countries to implement the UN Security Council Resolutions on the DPRK. The Nordic countries urge the DPRK to completely, verifiably and irreversibly abandon its illegal nuclear and missile programs.

Madame Chair.

The re-emergence of chemical weapons is an urgent threat to international peace and security. This menace must be tackled firmly and collectively. The erosion of norms against the use of weapons of mass destruction has affected the Chemical Weapons Convention. In recent years, we have witnessed the use of chemical weapons on the soils of Malaysia, Ukraine and the UK as well as in Syria, Iraq, and Russia. 

We remain deeply concerned by Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. The increasing number of reports, including by Russian information sources, that Russia is using Riot Control Agents and chloropicrin as a method of warfare in Ukraine is alarming. We recall that such use is prohibited under the Convention, and urge Russia to ensure full compliance with its obligations

Any use of chemical weapons is a breach of international law and the Chemical Weapons convention and such use may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Impunity for breaches of the global norms against chemical weapons must not be tolerated. 

We underline our full and unequivocal confidence in the professionalism, objectivity, impartiality, independence and technical expertise of the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat. We express our unwavering commitment to protect the integrity of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Organization for the Prohibition Chemical Weapons.

The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention is a vital pillar of the disarmament regime. The Nordic countries are encouraged by the deliberations of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Convention. We remain committed to contribute constructively to all items on its agenda and to reach consensus on recommendations and concrete actions to strengthen the convention and its implementation.

The multilateral export control regimes are integral to the international non-proliferation architecture. The Nordic countries are concerned with increased efforts to politicise export controls, framing them as imposing “undue restrictions” on developing countries and violating international law. On the contrary, export controls foster trust, which is conducive to trade and enhances cooperation on the peaceful uses of technology. Export controls help states fulfil their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and the NPT to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We support the strengthening of export controls globally, where the existing export control regimes are essential, to improve and facilitate international cooperation on peaceful uses of technology.

Madame Chair.

The rapid development and increased use of emerging disruptive technologies are posing a new challenge to international peace and security and have made their regulation a more pressing issue. The Nordic countries support the continued work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). 

The Conference on Certain Conventional Weapons remains an appropriate forum to discuss emerging disruptive technologies. We are committed to finding a common ground on a possible future instrument by the end of the group’s current mandate. 

The Nordic countries also welcome the diverse multi stakeholder discussions and initiatives on the responsible use of AI in the military domain. We emphasise the need to keep these and other efforts complementary and inclusive. 

There is an international consensus that international law applies in cyberspace. We must cooperate to strengthen compliance with international law, which is fundamental to maintaining security and stability in cyberspace. All UN Member States have agreed upon a framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, which also includes a set of voluntary non-legally binding norms. Now it is time for compliance and implementation. 

Madame Chair.

Small arms and light weapons kill in a big way. The illicit flows of these weapons remain a central threat to national and regional stability and sustainable development in many countries. The Nordic countries have been a consistent supporter of instruments and measures addressing small arms, specifically the UN Programme of Action. We welcome the outcome of this year’s review conference and call for a determined implementation of its action plan. 

The Nordic countries are committed to the Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention and specifically its humanitarian purpose. The increasing use of anti-personnel mines and subsequent rising victim numbers calls for strengthened implementation of the Convention. We encourage states that have not yet joined the Convention to do so without further delay. We look forward to the upcoming Review Conference and call for the adoption of a strong and ambitious action plan, closing existing gaps. We appreciate the inclusion of inclusive and comprehensive victims’ assistance and new elements such as climate and environmental considerations. 

We call (once again) on all UN Member states to join the Arms Trade Treaty. In this tenth Anniversary year of the entry into force of this landmark Treaty, we recognize its significance as the first and the only international treaty creating legally binding international standards to regulate the international trade in conventional arms. Transparency in arms trade is key to reducing the risk of diversion. In addition to major arms exporters, importers, as well as transit countries, carry special responsibilities in this regard.

The increasing use of explosive weapons in populated areas poses great risk to civilians and civilian infrastructure. In this context, the EWIPA political declaration is key. If fully implemented, it can improve the way we conduct military operations and ensure compliance with IHL. We encourage all states to endorse the declaration.

Madame Chair.

Space is a vital but increasingly contested and congested arena. Space services are critical to the daily functioning of societies and economies. The Nordic countries are firmly committed to the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects. 

We need to strengthen multilateral cooperation to preserve and enhance the safety, security and sustainability in outer space activities. We welcome the outcome of the GGE on PAROS, which recognized that both binding and non-binding legal measures contribute to PAROS. We welcome efforts to merge the two existing OEWGs and look forward to continued discussions in the UN on the development of norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviour in Outer Space. 

We urge All States to abide by the Outer Space Treaty’s Article IV, which obliges State Parties not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.

Madame Chair.

This year brought some positive developments in the Conference on Disarmament and we would like to thank all the Presidencies for their excellent work. We welcome the establishment of subsidiary bodies and hope their work will continue smoothly early next year. 

However, we deeply regret that the Conference could not agree on the issue of participation. Seventeen states that applied for observer status could not participate in the CD´s work. The Nordic countries have always supported the principles of inclusivity and multilateralism and we hope that next year the Conference could accept the participation of all states willing to contribute to the Conference’s work. 

The Nordic countries emphasise that gender equality and the empowerment of and full inclusion of women into our substantive work should be the order of the day. We accept and expect nothing less.

Let me also use this opportunity to highlight that Security Council resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions acknowledge the differentiated impact of armed conflict on women, and that women’s participation is vital to broader objectives for international peace and security. Disarmament and arms control intersect with all four pillars of the WPS agenda: participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery. 

Madame Chair.

The state of the world is grim. Tensions are running high. The rules based international system is under attack. This is the time to take action and make the multilateral system function better. This is the time to find common ground and advance disarmament. 

The Nordic countries will make every effort to advance the work of the First Committee and beyond!