UNGA Disarmament Index 2022: S-Z

This is an index of all references made to issues of disarmament and arms control made during the 77th General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly from 20–26 September 2022.

A-G | H-R | S-Z

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Mr. Terrance Micheal Drew, Prime Minister
23 September 2022

No relevant references.

Saint Lucia
Mr. Philip Joseph Pierre, Prime Minister
23 September 2022

Militarism: “We have arrived at this watershed moment in history because, we, the members of the United Nations have not adhered to the rules and principles of the Organisation that we created 76 years ago, as a multilateral answer to mankind’s propensity to use arms against his fellow man, instead of joining with him to turn them into tools for peace and development.”

Militarism: “We therefore call upon all parties involved to immediately end the conflict in Ukraine, by undertaking immediate negotiations to permanently settle all disputes in accordance with the principles of the United Nations.”

Military spending: “The billions and billions of dollars being spent in Ukraine in wanton destruction and war could have transformed for the better, the economies, the livelihoods and the lives of millions and millions of people in the developing countries of the world, if spent on poverty reduction and economic transformation.”

Conventional weapons, small arms and light weapons, arms trade, ammunition: “While Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean are not manufacturers of conventional weapons, our countries have been plagued by a proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons, resulting in a surge in criminal activity and gun violence.

“Saint Lucia has always been a strong advocate of the international frameworks, such as the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects (UN-POA) and the Arms Trade Treaty; which are two examples of multilateral instruments aimed at mobilizing international cooperation to curb the illicit trade in conventional arms and ammunition.

“Saint Lucia calls on the major manufacturers, exporters and importers of conventional weapons in our hemisphere to live up to their commitments, under these instruments, to lend the necessary expertise and technical assistance and cooperate in good faith to stem the tide of unregulated conventional arms and ammunition.”

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Mr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister
24 September 2022

Militarism: “Militarism: “Unfortunately, stale and outmoded thinking too often shapes, and dominates, the global outlook and conduct of the most powerful nations to the detriment of peace, security, and prosperity for all. For example, at least one mighty state affirms wrongly that it possesses an exceptionalism grounded in a manifest destiny to rule the world; another considers, also wrongly, that its population size, growing wealth, enlarged military prowess, and a civilisation that goes back to near antiquity, justifies its quest for global hegemony; and still others, not quite behemoths, conjure up ancient glories and historic empires as the illusory bases to reconstruct the past, oblivious to the fact that any such presumed future of unalloyed grandeur is actually behind them. Amidst all this competitive jostling for power and vainglory, confusion reigns and the overwhelmingly majority of the world's population suffers.”

Nuclear weapons, militarism: “It is an indictment on our civilised Assembly that horrific wars rumble on, unabated, in Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, parts of Africa, and elsewhere; at least one of these wars may lead to a nuclear Armageddon.”

Samoa
Ms. Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Prime Minister
23 September 2022

Nuclear weapons: “Though far removed from the centres of conflict, resultant escalating fuel and food prices and threats of nuclear weapons use have reached our isolation. Yet no one empathises with the war, climate is waging on atoll islanders watching their maritime boundaries disappear fast with sea level rise.”

Cyber peace and security: “The Boe Declaration defines for the Pacific what constitutes security concerns. These are primarily non-conventional in nature ranging from climate to environmental and resource security, human and cyber security, and transnational crimes. The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific adopted by Forum Leaders at their July 2022 meeting will support and strengthen the key tenets of the Boe Declaration”.

Nuclear weapons, military spending: “We are concerned about the serious shortfalls in the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty noting that nuclear weapon states have spent billions of dollars on modernizing and maintaining their nuclear arsenals rather than spending on helping victims of past use and testing of nuclear weapons, and focusing on achieving sustainable development goals.”

Cyber peace and security: The increasing use of ICT has raised issues of security and privacy. The online cyber-criminal activities have increased, including the dissemination and misuse of information. We rely on our collective responsibility as a global community to prevent and combat high-tech cyber and electronic crimes. Samoa believes these are crucial processes at the multilateral in ensuring that cyberspace is safe for All. We therefore need to work together to combat and eliminate these destabilising activities.”

San Marino
Mr. Luca Beccari, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
24 September 2022

Militarism: “In line with our values, the Captains Regent of the Republic of San Marino, in Their message at the opening of the session of the Parliament last July, called on all parties involved in the Ukraine conflict to renounce the use of force and to reopen the channels of dialogue and negotiation so that politics and diplomacy may prevail in the management of this crisis. No one should remain indifferent to war, but rather we should all work responsibly to create the conditions for dialogue and peace with the full involvement of international institutions.”

Nuclear weapons, disarmament: “Today the threat of nuclear weapons being used is much higher than it has been in the last decades. We condemn the Russian Federation’s dangerous nuclear rhetoric: any threat of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable and of the utmost concern. What is needed today is a steady and genuine commitment to international institutions and to disarmament. With this spirit, San Marino has participated in the 10th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and in the First Meeting of State parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons earlier this year. We regret that, at this critical time, the 10th Review Conference of the Non- Proliferation Treaty was not able to adopt its final document. San Marino will continue to work for the full implementation of this fundamental instrument. San Marino welcomes the positive outcome of the First Meeting of State parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and urges all States committed to our final goal of a world without such weapons to join the TPNW . Only honoring and reinvigorating our multilateral agreements will we be able to put humanity on a new path towards a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Saudi Arabia
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-furhan Al-Saud, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Arms race: “International peace and security cannot be brought about by the arms race, but rather by states cooperating together towards progress. We call upon the international community to intensify efforts to counter proliferation of weapons and to make the Middle East exempt from these weapons, an area free of these weapons. We fully cooperate with the IAEA in order to adopt serious measures to build confidence with our neighbours in the international community.”

Senegal
Mr. Macky Sall, President
20 September 2022

No relevant references.

Serbia
Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, President
21 September 2022

Militarism: “Current global developments remind as more and more often that the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes has no alternative. This principle is outstanding today more than ever before and it is best described in the UN Charter Preamble which reads as follows – “to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors”. Denial of use of force and peaceful resolution of disputes are the pillars of world stability; but they must be accompanied by principles such as non-selective observance of the UN Charter, implementation of mandatory UN Security Council Resolutions and basic principles of the applicable international public law.”

Seychelles
Mr. Wavel Ramkawalan, President
20 September 2022

Militarism: “The Ukraine-Russia conflict is of great concern to us. It poses a grave threat to global security and world peace, with serious ramifications for the entire community of nations. My country’s stance on the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy is universally recognised.”

Sierra Leone
Mr. Julius Maada Bio, President
21 September 2022

No relevant references.

Singapore
Mr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Militarism: “At the same time, superpower rivalry continues to sharpen. As we have seen in theatres from Europe to Asia this year, the risks of accidents, miscalculation, confrontation, and outright conflict have escalated.”

Cyber peace and security: “Digital transformation does not take place in a vacuum. It must be navigated in the context of intersecting issues — geopolitical tensions, technological bifurcation, cybersecurity threats, and the digital divide. The world has made significant progress in development by operating on a single technology stack. Interconnectedness and interoperability brought us together, lowered costs, and spurred innovation and the cross-fertilisation of ideas. But a fractured world threatens to undo all our good work. We need an open and inclusive global framework to harness and optimise the opportunities of digital transformation, while effectively addressing its challenges. A zero-sum, exclusionary, bifurcated approach benefits no one. An erosion of trust and an atmosphere of confrontation will only breed cyber threats and malicious cyber activities. We must also ensure that all States, particularly small states, developing and least developed countries benefit from the digital revolution and not be left further behind. Singapore fully supports the Secretary-General’s proposal for a Global Digital Compact, which has received strong support from Member States. We are honoured that Ambassador Burhan Gafoor serves as Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies. The consensus adoption of the Working Group’s first Annual Progress Report in July is a welcome sign that multilateralism can still deliver meaningful progress on the global commons.”

Slovakia
Ms. Zuzana Čaputová, President
20 September 2022

No relevant references.

Slovenia
Mr. Borut Pahor, President
21 September 2022

Militarism: “We must not leave our children a world in perpetual fear of war. For the sake of their secure future, we have a duty to do everything we can to ensure that the precious hope for a lasting peace returns to our hearts. After all, it was with this hope and our shared responsibility that the United Nations was founded. After all, today we celebrate the international day of peace. The United Nations has set very clear rules of engagement to which all Members have committed ourselves. These include a commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes, cooperation and respect for fundamental human dignity.”

Solomon Islands
Mr. Manasseh Sogavare, Prime Minister
23 September 2022

Militarism: “On Ukraine conflict, Solomon Islands calls for maximum restraint by all parties and a de-escalation of the conflict. We continue to hear words of war in this Hall of peace. We must be united in our resolve to seek peace and urge all parties to pursue a diplomatic solution to the conflict based on the spirit and purpose of our United Nations Charter.”

Nuclear weapons: “Solomon Islands joins other countries in the Blue Pacific Continent who are signatories of the Rarotonga Treaty to maintain a nuclear-free Pacific. We encourage nuclear power states who have signed the Rarotonga Treaty to take the next steps to ratify the Treaty which is aligned to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

Nuclear weapons, nuclear submarines: “We reiterate our call for the total elimination of nuclear material, nuclear weapons, and nuclear-powered military assets in our Blue Pacific.”

Nuclear energy: “Solomon Islands also echoes the concerns expressed by other Pacific countries on the proposal by Japan to discharge ALPS treated nuclear water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, because of potential transboundary and intergenerational implications.”

Somalia
Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President
22 September 2022

No relevant references.

South Africa
Ms. Naledi Pandor, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation
21 September 2022

Nuclear weapons: “Mr President, global solidarity is also required to meet other pressing challenges such as energy and food insecurity, climate change and the devastation caused by conflicts including the existential threat of nuclear weapons.”

Militarism: “South Africa continues to believe that conflict resolution must not come through fuelling conflicts, but through investing in efforts aimed at political dialogue. We should aspire to peace as a global public good. There have been no winners of the wars of the past seven decades. Instead, they engendered strife, distrust among nations, divisions, a perpetual misallocation of resources to weapons, increased poverty and underdevelopment.”

South Sudan
Mr. Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, Vice President
22 September 2022

Arms embargo: “As we make progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, we are calling upon the International 9 community and UN in particular to revise individual and targeted sanctions, arms embargo imposed on South Sudan to enable successful completion of the remaining provisions of the peace agreement outline in the New Roadmap.”

Spain
Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of the Government
22 September 2022

Explosive weapons: “Rarely have the foundations of this institution been shaken as strongly as in the early hours of 24 February, when cities throughout Ukraine felt the terror of Russian bombardments.”

Militarism: “Asia’s importance to global security was made very clear at the NATO Summit held in Madrid earlier this year, with the Alliance’s Pacific partners participating, for the first time ever, at the highest level. The Madrid Summit welcomed the two new NATO members, Sweden and Finland, and approved the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept, which will guide its future in the coming years.”

Sri Lanka
Mr. Ali Sabry, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Disarmament, non-proliferation, arms control, nuclear weapons: “Let me say a word about global security. Geopolitical tensions among nations have heightened creating insecurity and polarization among States. Agreed frameworks for arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament have become fragile. At the 10th Review Conference of the NPT concluded recently, which remains the centerpiece of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, we were regrettably unable to arrive once again at a consensus outcome.”

Cyber peace and security: “The absence of a regulatory supervisory regime concerning the use of new technologies in cyberspace and in Artificial Intelligence needs to be addressed urgently. Their ability to cause large-scale disruption, disinformation and undermine scientifically established findings is of real concern; a danger we all face. Sri Lanka, which is implementing the nation’s first Information and Cyber Security Strategy, has identified the importance of establishing a partnership-based approach to protect cyber space in order to confront multinational cyber threats.”

Sudan
Mr. Abdel-Fattah AlBurhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Government
22 September 2022

Small arms and light weapons, disarmament: “There is another priority that Sudan has in disarmament: it is the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Sudan, much like all developing countries, is suffering from this scourge. It is a scourge that has an economic and social dimension. This scourge has been made more complicated by competition for water, pasture resources and for mineral resources too. And this has caused these weapons to proliferate further. Therefore, we need to be able to control these weapons.”

Suriname
Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President
21 September, 2022

Militarism: “Conflicts and violence, are currently, on the rise globally, in all regions, which are leading to hostilities and displacements. These hostilities and mass displacements are causing people to face paralysing levels of poverty and food insecurity. We as Member States, constituting the United Nations, should take up our role in maintaining international peace and security.”

Sweden
Ms. Ann Christin Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Militarism: “A permanent member of the Security Council has launched an unprovoked, unjustified and illegal aggression against a neighbouring country. This was done in blatant disregard of its international obligations and the human suffering that extends far beyond the immediate war zone.”

Nuclear weapons: “Neither partial mobilisation, nuclear sabre rattling, nor any other escalation will deter us from supporting Ukraine.”

Nuclear energy: “Humanitarian law and principles must be upheld, and Ukraine’s nuclear power plants protected from Russia’s illegal and reckless attacks.”

Nuclear weapons, arms rade: “The nuclear threat is alarmingly present, and Russia’s actions lower the threshold in a way that increases the threat facing us all. In January this year, the leaders of all five Nuclear Weapons States committed to the prevention of nuclear war and avoiding arms race. They affirmed that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Russia’s irresponsible actions and nuclear rhetoric since then severely undermines the credibility of its commitment to this pledge. It is also deeply troubling that Russia broke consensus on the draft outcome document of the NPT Review Conference.”

Disarmament, non-proliferation: “The countries of the Stockholm Initiative have presented ideas to heed the call from the UN Secretary-General to bring disarmament and non-proliferation back to the top of the international agenda.”

Militarism: “This military invasion of a country in our neighbourhood – in violation of the very same international law that is to protect us all from aggression – has also fundamentally changed Sweden’s security environment. In response to this seriously deteriorated security situation, the Swedish Government decided on 16 May to apply for NATO membership. The decision has broad national support and was made following extensive consultations among political parties. It was taken in tandem with Finland. And the decision is anchored in a firm belief that security is best built together with others. When I signed our formal request for NATO membership, I noted the fundamental changes to our defence and security policy. But I also stressed the importance of the continuity of our ambitious global and multilateral foreign policy.”

Switzerland
Mr. Ignazio Cassis, President
20 September 2022

Militarism: “Almost no continent today is spared from armed conflicts. Tensions are increasing, between great powers, between neighbouring States and even within some countries.”

“Switzerland is a neutral country. This means that we strictly adhere to the law of neutrality anchored in international law. We don't get involved in conflicts and do not bring any military support to either party to a conflict. Nothing can put that back in question.”

“With this in mind, we have set ourselves four Priorities:

Promoting sustainable peace: we want to make available our long experience date for the promotion of peace and conflict prevention. In this context, we place particular emphasis on a women's participation in processes of peace.
Protecting the civilian population: it is they who pay the heaviest toll in conflicts. We commit to the protection of civilians and for respect for international humanitarian law and human rights.”

Syrian Arab Republic
Mr. Fayssal Mekdad, Minister for Foreign Affairs
26 September 2022

Nuclear waste: “There's also been a plundering of natural resources where Israel has buried nuclear waste and where Israel has taken over land to set up a wind farm, all of this is well documented.”

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action: “We support the return to the nuclear agreement for Iran, which the United States legally withdrew from unilaterally. We also support the constructive approach adopted by Iran on this matter. And we call upon the western authorities to satisfy the legitimate requests of Iran.”

Militarism: “We call for an end to the American military manoeuvres on the Korean Peninsula, which has exacerbated tensions.”

Tajikistan
Mr. Sirodjiddin Muhriddin, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Arms trade, cyber peace and security: “We are witnessing the transformation of the existing world order. Threats such as terrorism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of cross-border organized crime have a tendency to increase exponentially.”

Militarism: “It's regrettable that the issues of settlement of the state border line between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which we inherited from history, are groundlessly raised at the UN General Assembly… It is with deep regret that Kyrgyzstan is deviating from the agreements reached, creating a false appearance of withdrawing troops and heavy military equipment from the line of contact by hiding them in populated areas near the border.”

United Republic of Tanzania
Mr. Philip Isdor Mpango, Vice-President
22 September 2022

Militarism: “In maintenance of peace and security, Tanzania has always believed in diplomacy as the best instrument of resolving conflict. Experience has taught us that in war everyone loses, including the non-warring parties. It is therefore our plea that in the wake of the global conflict our focus should remain to be that of safeguarding human lives, especially children and women, and the well-being of the people.”

Thailand
Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister
24 September 2022

Nuclear weapons, militarism: “A few days ago, a sentiment was expressed by the EU foreign policy chief when he said ‘Don’t rule out the possibilities of the use of nuclear weapons at the Ukraine crisis’. An oriental saying has it, which could be related to this context. It pertains to the enjoyment of riding a beast – whether it is a tiger or a dragon. Let us put a tiger in this context. Riding the tiger’s back could be fun and challenging, but no one could enjoy riding its back with no end in sight. The question is ‘how to dismount with safety, without killing the tiger’.

“Suddenly, the question of “how to” is daunting. Here we have the suggestion, which has taken all elements into account, and definitely not a ‘realpolitik free’. A possible breakthrough could be apparent through the month of November – as the third week of the penultimate month of the year– our first and golden opportunity for all super stakeholders of the Ukraine crisis to assemble at three venues in Southeast Asia as legitimate participants. The three venues – one in Phnom Penh for ASEAN Summit, another in Bali for G20, and the third in Bangkok, Thailand for APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They could separately or in a series serve as the most appropriate platforms for talks to provide possible off-ramp or exit to this high-tension global crisis in Ukraine. The World Body, UN, with all its relevant roles and mechanisms to help safeguard peace and stability, would certainly join in at any juncture to add value to this endeavour. So, let us hope that this golden opportunity is not passed up by all the superpowers, super stakeholders, with regard to the high-tension Ukraine crisis.”

Timor-Leste
Mr. José Ramos-Horta, President
23 September 2022

Militarism, ceasefire: “As there are extremely limited number of credible neutral global leaders, the UN Secretary-General and high Envoys of his choice should work hard day and night to reach a humanitarian ceasefire agreement, and provisional peace agreement. The ultimate goal will have to be a comprehensive, permanent peace agreement. What it should be aimed now is a temporary cessation of troop movements, military action, humanitarian air and land corridors and zones for unimpeded humanitarian assistance and resumption of export and import activities. Russia, Ukraine and NATO countries have to swallow their pride, review their past policies that led to this mutual suicide, back away from each other borders, let Ukrainians rebuild their country and lives, let Russians retreat with security to their borders.”

Togo
Mr. Robert Dussey, Minister for Foreign Affairs
23 September 2022

Cyber peace and security: “In order to contribute to this imperative objective, Togo hosted the first Pan-African Cyber Security Summit on 23 and 24 March 2022 in Lomé. The Lomé Declaration resulting from this Summit is a commitment to the fight against cyber threats. In this regard, my country welcomes the ongoing work of the Ad Hoc Committee on a comprehensive international convention on combating the criminal use of information and communication technologies and encourages all stakeholders to invest in the development of such a legal instrument.”

Tonga
Mr. Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni, Prime Minister
23 September 2022

Cyber peace and security: “With urgency we must, among so many other issues, overcome the severe economic, financial and social impacts of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic, accelerate action on climate change, ocean health, energy transformation, the sustainable use of natural resources, cybersecurity and I could go on.”

Militarism: “Earlier this year, Tonga co-sponsored several UN General Assembly Resolutions in support of the people of Ukraine. We continue to urge a peaceful resolution of the conflict to save unnecessary loss of lives and minimise any further devastation.”

Trinidad and Tobago
Mr. Amery Browne, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Small arms and light weapons: “In the Caribbean, our efforts to build safe and peaceful societies are being completely undermined by transnational organised crime, human trafficking, the illicit trade of drugs, and a steady flow of illegal firearms from source countries beyond our region; all contributing to unacceptably high levels of gang violence within our communities. We are committed to further strengthening our cooperation with regional and international partners to address these challenges, which threaten the very stability of our societies.”

Nuclear weapons: “We continue to call for the abandonment and destruction of all nuclear weapons as the only means of guaranteeing the avoidance of total annihilation of humankind.”

Tunisia
Mr. Othman Jerandi, Minister for Foreign Affairs
26 September 2022

No relevant references.

Türkiye
Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President
20 September 2022

Militarism: “Since the first day of the conflict in Ukraine, which has now completed its seventh month, we have acted with the understanding that ‘war has no winners, a just peace has no losers’. Today, we still keep emphasizing the key role of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the current crisis.”

Nuclear energy: “The Istanbul Memorandum of Understanding has also proved that negotiations do yield results on issues which are of vital importance to the parties. A similar approach can also be displayed regarding the crisis at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, which concerns the safety of the entire humanity.”

Turkmenistan
Ms. Aksoltan Ataeva, Permanent Representative to the UN
26 September 2022

Militarism: “Restoring trust and a culture of respectful dialogue is currently gaining universal significance, as one of the key conditions for the responsible non-confrontational approach, seeking opportunities for mutual understanding, and preserving a balance of interests one consider problematic issues. In order to further promote the philosophy of trust based dialogue in international relations, Turkmenistan intends to propose a draft resolution for consideration by the UNGA entitled: “Dialogue, a guarantee for peace”. We are convinced that the adoption of such a document would serve to confirm the principle and unequivocal commitment of all UN member states to peaceful negotiation based method of resolving conflict, no matter how difficult they may seem.”

Tuvalu
Mr. Kausea Natano, Prime Minister
23 September 2022

Nuclear energy: “In the same vein, we reiterated the strong concerns of our region of the potential threat of nuclear contamination to the health and security of the Blue Pacific, its people and prospects, and reaffirmed the importance of ensuring international consultations, international law, and independent and verifiable scientific assessments. These principles must govern the deployment and use of nuclear technology, and the discharge of nuclear materials and wastes into our Blue Pacific Continent.”

Uganda
Ms. Jessica Alupo, Vice-President
22 September 2022

Militarism: “The world is currently facing many challenges that undermine international peace and security. The Russia-Ukraine military conflict continues to cause more suffering, destruction and displacement of the civilian population, mostly women and children. The longer it persists, the more suffering, destruction and displacement we shall witness. We are deeply concerned about the loss of lives and the serious humanitarian situation. Uganda supports dialogue with a view to reaching a peaceful resolution to the crisis. My President has said many times, ‘We think the best way is to negotiate. Everybody who wants peace in the world should support negotiations in order to get balanced peace that ensures safety for all’.”

Ukraine
Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy
21 September 2022

Militarism: “We must protect life. The world must protect life. Every state suffering the armed aggression needs the opportunity to protect its citizens and liberate its territory. If it requires help with weapons or shells – they should be provided. If you need financial help for this, it should be given. If for this, it is necessary to help with the intelligence data – just do it. But what is not needed, is lies. We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms.”

Militarism: “For us, this is a war for life. That is why we need defense support – weapons, military equipment and shells. Offensive weapons, a long-range one is enough to liberate our land, and defensive systems, above all, air defense. And we need financial support – to keep internal stability and fulfill social obligations to our people”.

Explosive weapons, nuclear energy: “On the eve of the General Assembly meeting, Russia fired missiles at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The explosion hit the station buildings – windows were broken, walls were damaged. The rockets exploded only three hundred meters from the walls of the reactors! And this is after the IAEA's clear appeal to Russia to stop any hostile activity against any nuclear facilities of Ukraine and, in particular, against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station – the largest one in Europe, which Russia has turned into a target. And that makes all of you a target. Russian radiation blackmailing is something that should concern each and every one of you, because none of you will find a vaccine against radiation sickness”.

Nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, explosive weapons: “Limiting prices is safeguarding the world. This is the way to restore energy and price security. But will the world go for it? Or will it be scared? Will it be scared of Russian threats? It is necessary to take only one strong step, after which everything will become clear. The time has come for this. This step will put everything in place. After the Russian missile terror. After the massacres. After Mariupol. After the burning of Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka by the Russian military. After blocking the ports. After the strikes of Russian tanks and missiles on nuclear power plants. And after threats to use nuclear weapons, which have become the rule, not the exception, for Russian propagandists… We must finally recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. At all levels. In all countries that confess the values of peace and protection of human life. Legally. Politically.”

Militarism: “Every nation has the right to security guarantees. Not only the largest nations. Not only the most fortunate ones. We have proposals to upgrade the security architecture for Ukraine, and for Europe and the world, which will not allow any more aggression against us. We are already presenting them to partners. Proposals for legally binding multilateral and bilateral treaties. These are the conditions for the guarantors to act, and the timeline for their actions to bring results – results on land, at sea and in the air; in diplomacy and politics, in economy and finance, in providing weapons and intelligence. Each of you, who will receive the text of our peace formula will also see the details of what we offer as security guarantees. I do not want to compare our offers with the guarantees of any alliances that exist on the planet now. I want to stress that it is always much better to guarantee the security of a nation, preventively, rather than to stop a war after it has already begun.”

Militarism: “As for the talks between Ukraine and Russia. Probably you have happened to hear different words from Russia about the talks – as if they were ready for them. But. They talk about the talks but announce military mobilization. They talk about the talks but announce pseudo referendums in the occupied territories. What is true then? The military mobilization in Russia is true. Sham referendums are also true. Russia wants war. It's true. But Russia will not be able to stop the course of history. Mankind and the international law are stronger than one terrorist state. Russia will be forced to end this war. The war it has started. I rule out that the settlement can happen on a different basis than the Ukrainian peace formula. The further the Russian terror reaches, the less likely it is that anyone in the world will agree to sit at one table with them. And if my words will be followed by new Russian missiles and acts of terrorism it will only prove the weakness. Russia’s weakness. Its inability to prevail over us, its inability to prevail over the world.”

United Arab Emirates
Ms. Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State
24 September 2022

Weapons of mass destruction: “As we all know, the maintenance of international peace and security requires a world free of weapons of mass destruction. In particular in the Middle East and in the Korean Peninsula. It also necessitates promoting dialogue to reduce tension and to address regional and international concerns in this regard.”

Explosive weapons, drones: “In addition, the situation has become increasingly dangerous as a result of terrorist use of missiles and drones to launch cross border attacks. These developments reflect the evolving nature of terrorism, and require active eforts to prevent conflict zones from becoming a safe heaven for terrorists and to update strategies on regular basis in this regard. It is also imperative to adopt international rules and regulations that prevent them from obtaining advanced weapons and technology.”

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Ms. Elizabeth Truss, Prime Minister
21 September 2021

Nuclear energy: “We will transition to a future based on renewable and nuclear energy while ensuring that the gas used during that transition is from reliable sources including our own North Sea production.”

Militarism: “So we are building new partnerships around the world. We are fortifying our deep security alliances in Europe and beyond through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force…We are building new security ties with our friends in the Indo-Pacific and the Gulf.”

Militarism, nuclear weapons: “In Ukraine, barbarous weapons are being used to kill and maim people, Rape is being used as an instrument of war, Families are being torn apart. And this morning we have seen Putin trying to justify his catastrophic failures. He is doubling down by sending even more reservists to a terrible fate. He is desperately trying to claim the mantle of democracy for a regime without human rights or freedoms. And he is making yet more bogus claims and sabre-rattling threats. This will not work. The international alliance is strong and Ukraine is strong.”

Military spending, militarism: “That’s why the UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, maintaining our position as the leading security actor in Europe. And that’s why – at this crucial moment in the conflict – I pledge that we will sustain or increase our military support to Ukraine, for as long as it takes. New UK weapons are arriving in Ukraine as I speak – including more MLRS rockets. We will not rest until Ukraine prevails.”

United States of America
Mr. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President
21 September 2022

Nuclear weapons: “Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime.”

Use of explosive weapons in populated areas: “And now we see attacks on schools, railway stations, hospitals — on centers of Ukrainianhistory and culture.”

Arms control: “To stand against global politics of fear and coercion; to defend the sovereign rights of smaller nations as equal to those of larger ones; to embrace basic principles like freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and arms control — no matter what else we may disagree on, that is the common ground upon which we must stand.”

Nuclear energy: “Dozens of projects are already underway: industrial-scale vaccine manufacturing in Senegal, transformative solar projects in Angola, first-of-its-kind small modular nuclear power plant in Romania.”

Nuclear weapons, non-proliferation, arms control: “Let me also urge every nation to recommit to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime through diplomacy. No matter what else is happening in the world, the United States is ready to pursue critical arms control measures. A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. The five permanent members of the Security Council just reaffirmed that commitment in January. But today, we’re seeing disturbing trends. Russia shunned the Non-Proliferation ideals embraced by every other nation at the 10th NPT Review Conference. And again, today, as I said, they’re making irresponsible nuclear threats to use nuclear weapons. China is conducting an unprecedented, concerning nuclear buildup without any transparency.

DPRK and nuclear weapons: “Despite our efforts to begin serious and sustained diplomacy, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to blatantly violate U.N. sanctions.

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action: “And while the United States is prepared for a mutual return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if Iran steps up to its obligations, the United States is clear: We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Non-proliferation: “I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome. The nonproliferation regime is one of the greatest successes of this institution.”

Uruguay
Mr. Francisco Bustillo, Minister for Foreign Affairs
26 September 2022

Militarism: "It is imperative that the Russian Federation cease hostilities and withdraw as soon as possible from Ukrainian territory. The parties to this conflict should strive to return to the negotiating table to resolve their differences peacefully, as stipulated in the UN Charter.”

Disarmament, non-proliferation, nuclear weapons: “Uruguay cannot conceive of peace in the world without serious and firm commitments on the part of the international community to disarmament and non-proliferation. The recent deadlock and paralysis in the framework of the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should make us reflect on this particular moment in the history of the Organization. Uruguay has supported and will continue to support the UN disarmament agenda, and will continue to tirelessly seek agreements that will allow the disarmament architecture to function effectively and reliably.”

Cyber peace and security: “Uruguay is committed to the cybersecurity and cybercrime agenda. The Organisation has a primary responsibility in this area, and Uruguay is actively participating in the instances that are taking place. In addition, Uruguay has now formalised its request to the Council of Europe to accede to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and thus embrace the most modern legislation in existence to deal with cybercrime.”

Uzbekistan
Mr. Vladimir Norov, Minister for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

No relevant references.

Vanuatu
Mr. Nikenike Vurobaravu, President
23 September 2022

Nuclear weapons, disarmament: “The nuclear risk still remains and presents an existential threat for human species and all forms of life that inhabits the earth. The nuclear risk is becoming even greater given the Ukraine-Russian war and the intense geopolitical tensions rapidly evolving before us. The lack of consensus on the recent Non-Proliferation Treaty Review (NPT) makes it difficult to achieve nuclear disarmament. This division reveals that the NPT as a central pillar of international rules-based order is not seen as a priority by few nuclear powers. This is a major cause of concern for our planet.”

Venezuela
Carlos Rafael Faría Tortosa, Minister of the People’s Power for Foreign Affairs
24 September 2022

Militarism: “Irrespective of ideological positions, we must agree on the need to give a priority to the re-establishment of the diplomatic path, political dialogue, over and above military confrontation. Humanity will not survive a world war in any part of the world. For my country, a people that has never participated in an armed international conflict, there is no other path other than peace, justice, trust, and respect for international law.”

Viet Nam
Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister
24 September 2022

Military spending: “Global military expenditure surged to a record high 2.1 trillion USD, while the international community fail to mobilize 100 billion USD for climate actions.”

Nuclear weapons: “The nuclear risk reaches its highest point in decades. But that was still not enough for the NPT review conference to achieve any collective commitment to action.”

Militarism: “Viet Nam firmly believes that respect for international law, especially vis-à-vis the respect for sovereign equality, political independence and territorial integrity of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, is the most effective and viable measure to prevent conflicts and promote sustainable peace and security…Viet Nam calls for the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, and stands ready to contribute to the diplomatic process, and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Ukraine.”

Yemen
Mr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President
22 September 2022

Disarmament, weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, non-proliferation, drones, landmines: “We are also calling for a combat to be conducted against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in particular by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today Iran is interfering in our domestic affairs in an absolutely unacceptable way. That is why sanctions against that country need to be respected in line with the law and international commitments. We would call upon the states of the international community to reach agreement on nuclear non-proliferation and to ensure that no military aid be given to Iran, in particular through the provision of drones that are currently being used in terrorist acts against the citizens of my country and of countries in the region. By the same token the houthi militia are planting antipersonnel minds in the sea and on land. That is why the Republic of Yemen would like to urge the states of the international community to respect disarmament.”

Zambia
Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President
21 September 2022

Disarmament: “Zambia, as a signatory to various disarmament treaties and conventions, remains committed to promote global peace and security.”

Militarism: “We therefore categorically condemn war anywhere and we continue to urge all parties involved to pursue diplomatic solutions to conflict resolution.”

Zimbabwe
Mr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President
22 September 2022

Cyber peace and security: “Terrorism, biodiversity loss, desertification, pollution, and cybercrime among other challenges reinforce the urgent need to implement the inclusive and transformative solutions that leave no one and no place behind.”

Small arms and light weapons: “The spread of terrorism and intensification of old conflicts on the African Continent and throughout the world have been a setback to our quest to ‘Silence the Guns.’”