Nuclear-free Middle East urged by Bahrain

Global peace, security and stability can not be achieved with the existence of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD), The Arab Group stressed, underlining the need to rid mankind of those arms and dedicate resources to developing societies. This came in a speech given on behalf of the Arab League member states by Bahrain's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (the President of the Arab Group this month) Jamal Faris Al Ruwaiei. The speech was delivered before the UN General Assembly's First Committee in charge of disarmament and international peace. The Bahraini Permanent Representative said the Arab Group considers the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the multi-party international system to achieve international peace. He underscored the need to respect countries' inalienable right to conduct researches and possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, as per the fourth article of the convention. He also stressed that that right has to be in tune with international commitments. He pointed out that the Arab countries hailed the high-profile meeting of the UN General Assembly on nuclear disarmament which convened on September 26. He voiced the Arab Group's hope the meeting would pave the way for a treaty banning the use and possession of nuclear weapons. Regarding the Middle East, the Bahraini Permanent Representative stressed the need for competent countries to play their part to hold the delayed conference on making the Middle East free of nuclear weapons and WMD as soon as possible in 2013. He emphasised that the situation in the Middle East should not be taken as a pretext to put off the conference, stressing the political will of the Arab countries to ensure its success. He affirmed that any more delay in holding the conference will represent a setback for the nuclear disarmament efforts. He noted that the Arab Group considers freeing the region from nuclear weapons is a pre-requisite to achieve security, stability and peace as well as build confidence by enforcing the UN Security Council's resolutions number 487 and 687 and subjecting the Israeli nuclear plants to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s safeguards.