Workshop on Promoting a Successful Outcome of the 2018 NPT PrepCom
Ambassador Jean-Louis Falconi, permanent representative of France to the United Nations and international organisations in Vienna delivered a speech during a thematic session of the Workshop organised on the promotion of a successful outcome of the 2018 NPT Preparatory Committee of the 2020 NPT Review Conference.
As the 2018 Preparatory Committee of the NPT review Conference is getting near, Permanent Missions of Kazakhstan and Austria have organised a workshop to exchange views on how to promote a successful outcome of this review cycle. All of the three pillars have been dealt with.
After having recalled that France is calling for the reinforcement of the NPT through concrete and realistic measures, in the framework of a balanced approach between its three pillars, Ambassador Jean-Louis Falconi underlined the importance of pursuing the cooperation activities on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the line of the third pillar, while ensuring the highest level of nuclear safety and security.
France is particularly attached to the responsible development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, that can be a major contribution to answer the essential human needs and sustainable development.
In addition to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, the international non-proliferation regime is based on a third pillar : the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, that has to be « accessible on a no discriminatory basis to non-nuclear weapon states that are party » to the NPT and this « under the appropriate international surveillance and through appropriate international procedures », according to article 5 of the NPT.
With the aim to reinforce the implementation of the 3rd pillar of the NPT, it is important:
- To call on the pursuing of efforts for global nuclear safety and to encourage State parties to implement the most priority measures ;
- To encourage international development and cooperation, by mobilizing all States that have an experience in civil nuclear technologies. The needs for capacity building are fiercely growing and that is a challenge to be dealt with by the community of all State parties ;
- To push the State Parties to reinforce the security of radioactive sources, so that the answer to the needs expressed in many fields (industry, health, etc.) is not made to the detriment of the security of the State parties. France encourages all interested States to support the joint statement on Strengthening the Security of High Activity Sealed Radioactive Sources (INFCIRC/910).
On this occasion, Ambassador Falconi has also invited interested States to support the Working paper that will be presented by France during the next 2018 Preparatory Committee, dealing with the contribution of Intergovernmental agreements to the development of civil nuclear cooperation, among which safety, security and safeguards are fundamental parts.
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