Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 17/04/2010
TEHRAN, 17 APRIL 2010 Bismilahirahmanirahim Your Excellency President Ahmedinejad, Your Excellency Minister Mottaki, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure and honor to be invited to address such a distinguished gathering on an issue of paramount importance for the entire human race. The timing of the holding of this important conference is particularly appropriate. I would like to take this opportunity to, once again, express my thanks and appreciation to H.E Manouchehr Mottaki, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for his kind invitation extended to me to take part in this important conference. Distinguished Delegates, The new century with its rapid technological advances has brought the humankind to a stage where we witness the ability to destroy the world or alternatively to create a future where scientific advances are used to promote universal peace, prosperity and progress. It is the duty of all to work towards the achievement of this objective. It is universally acknowledged that the elimination of weapons of mass destruction is a desirable goal. However, this goal may well become beyond reach if serious and immediate measures are not taken to establish a world free of these weapons. We face a stark choice. Either weapons of mass destruction are destroyed or they will destroy us. The survival of humanity depends on cooperation rather than confrontation. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), as the second biggest international organization after the UN with 57 member countries and 5 observers, is based on the principles of peace, tolerance, equality and justice. In the OIC, we firmly believe in the goal of nuclear disarmament and elimination of other weapons of mass destruction. We have supported and will continue to support all efforts aimed at achieving this noble goal. We also believe that the issue of proliferation should be resolved through political and diplomatic means. To this end, the measures and initiatives in this regard should be taken within the framework of international law, relevant multilateral conventions and the United Nations Charter. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that progress in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, in all its aspects, is essential to strengthen international peace and security. In this connection, the OIC would like to renew its call to all States to pursue and intensify multilateral negotiations, as agreed by the consensus in the Final Document of the first special session devoted to disarmament, in order to achieve nuclear disarmament under effective international control and to strengthen the international disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation regimes. Multilateralism and multilaterally agreed solutions provide the only sustainable method of addressing disarmament and international security issues. The OIC would like to reiterate the need to respect the inalienable right of developing countries to engage in the research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination. In this regard, I would like to reiterate OIC’s support to the inalienable rights of Iran and all Member States to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, in accordance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Consequently, we believe that Iran’s nuclear issue should be settled through dialogue and peaceful means. Mr. Chairman, The OIC would like also to emphasize the responsibility of developed countries to support the legitimate requirements of developing countries for nuclear energy. It is essential for the nuclear states to agree on a concrete measures to eliminate their nuclear arsenals to make the world a safe place for our future generations. The recent agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States for a successor agreement to the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START) and the release of new Nuclear Posture Review are positive developments in the right direction. However, more efforts have to be exerted in order to get rid of these dangerous weapons. Last year, I have attended the session by the United Nations Security Council at a high level, which adopted a resolution calling for global disarmament and control of weapons of mass destruction. In a press conference on the sidelines of the UN session, I stressed that there is a need for a fair and just regime to implement the resolution while stopping the double-standard approach in that regard, which has been the case for a long time. The OIC continues to consider the establishment of nuclear weapon free zones in the different regions of the world as a positive steps and important measures towards attaining the objective of nuclear disarmament and non–proliferation. Central Asian countries achieved this goal which is commendable. In this context, the OIC would like to reiterate its support for the establishment in the Middle East of a nuclear-weapon-free zone, and demands that Israel accede to the NPT without delay and promptly place all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. For the sustainability of peace, security and stability in the Middle East, I believe that a nuclear-weapon-free zone could be achieved as a part of comprehensive agreement in line with the Arab Peace Initiative. Mr. Chairman, To conclude, we, at the Organization of the Islamic Conference aspire eagerly to the establishment of an international partnership to face up to the contemporary challenges, foremost of which the danger of the weapons of mass destruction. I hope that this conference will lead to concrete results to the benefit of the international community. Thanks for your attention.
