Mr. Chairman,

On behalf of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, I am very pleased to be able address the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. I do so with the conviction that nuclear disarmament and the achievement of a nuclear weapons-free world is a matter which concerns us all -politicians, diplomats and citizens of the world -in the most direct way. The very existence of humankind is at stake, and failure to meet the aspirations of our people and do our job as elected representatives of the people, is not an option.

In April of last year, delegations from over 120 IPU member parliaments adopted a consensus Resolution entitled Advancing nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and securing the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: the role of parliaments. That Resolution, which was subsequently also circulated in the UN General Assembly, includes a series of practical recommendations on what parliaments can and should do so as to ensure universal ratification of eTBT, promote the UN Secretary General's five-point plan for nuclear disarmament, and support a number of concurrent steps such as reductions in nuclear stockpiles, establishment of nuclear-weapons-free zones, and commencement of negotiations on a fissile materials treaty.

In an effort to help build political momentum towards the achievement of key international commitments in the area of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, IPU as an institution has also been engaging with a number of partners, including the United Nations, CTBTO, and dynamic organizations such as Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND).

One year later, parliaments have now been asked to report back on their action in follow-up to the resolution, which in turn will allow for an assessment of good practices, challenges that remain and opportunities ahead. Preliminary information, as shared by delegations over the past months, bring to the fore some very interesting findings.

Legislators from Angola, China and Pakistan, for example, have shared their experiences in the adoption of national laws regulating the use, transport and transfer of nuclear technologies and materials according to international standards. Legislators from Mongolia and New Zealand provided examples of legislation which criminalizes domestic nuclear weapons activities. The parliament of Norway explained how it was able to develop legislation which divests government

pension funds from corporations involved in the production of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. Legislators from South Korea referred to their efforts of parliamentary diplomacy engaging with Japanese legislators on proposals for regional denuclearization including a North-East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone, and seeking to extend such dialogue with MPs from North Korea.

At the regional level, the Namibian parliament was recently involved in a regional workshop for the member states of the Southern African Development Community on the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, and it remains committed to follow-up on these efforts. Our Australian members said that there was scope for their parliament to do more, in light of its strong linkages in Asia, to promote non-proliferation and disarmament, both in terms of support for treaties from countries in the region and of norms of nuclear restraint. For example, it was noted that there is particular benefit in Australian parliamentarians becoming more engaged with their counterparts in India on nonproliferation issues.

In terms of specific efforts to ensure the entry into force of the CTBT, we have learned about how the collaborative efforts among the parliaments of Costa Rica and Austria, through the CTBTO Preparatory Commission and the Article XIV Conference, are in fact contributing to accelerating the ratification process in Latin America and the Caribbean. MPs from Indonesia have also taken an interest in the expedited ratification of the CTBT, and we applaud the very recent announcement of the Government's intention to proceed in this direction. Members of Parliament from the nine Annex 2 states that have not yet ratified the CTBT came forward to address their concerns but also the avenues they are willing to explore. Clearly this is a discussion that needs to continue with renewed energy, and from that perspective, the value of inter-parliamentary exchange and cooperation should not be underestimated.

Mr. Chairman,

On 24 February 2010, the UN Secretary-General sent a letter to all parliaments noting the importance of the upcoming Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, highlighting his five-point plan for nuclear disarmament, commending the Inter-Parliamentary Union and PNND for their efforts and support, and encouraging parliamentarians to play an active role in helping achieve the objective of nuclear disarmament. Moreover, he highlighted the efforts by parliamentarians to advance the proposal for a nuclear weapons convention -one of the principal calls in his five-point plan, and encouraged parliamentarians to make further efforts to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.

The Secretary-General's decision to reach out to parliaments was based on his conviction that "Parliamentarians and parliaments play a key role in the success of disarmament and nonproliferation efforts. Parliaments support the implementation of treaties and global agreements contributing to the rule of law and promoting adherence to commitments. " Similarly, in his message to the 122nd IPU Assembly in late March, Mr. Ban Ki-moon noted that "For several years now, thanks in no small measure to the efforts of parliamentarians and civil society, momentum has been building in our work for a world free of nuclear weapons. We need your support now to ensure success in May at the NPT Review Conference".

Parliamentarians around the world are responding to this challenge.

Parliamentary resolutions supporting a nuclear weapons convention, or the more comprehensive five-point plan of Mr Ban Ki-moon, have been adopted in a number of parliaments -including Austria, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Norway, as well as the European Parliament, -and introduced in other parliaments including France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A parliamentary declaration supporting a nuclear weapons convention has now been endorsed by parliamentarians from across the political spectrum in parliaments around the world including from nuclear weapon States and their allies.

IPU, in collaboration with PNND, held a parliamentary dialogue yesterday and a forum today, with the UN Secretary-General as keynote speaker, on the role of parliamentarians to advance nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Key themes that emerged included:

• Politicians and diplomats alike should not underestimate the power of the growing momentum towards nuclear disarmament -and they should not hesitate to seize the moment and reach towards an unprecedented, historical breakthrough;

• Non-proliferation steps, such as Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, can playa key role in developing the institutional and technical components for a nuclear-weapons-free world, as long as they are developed with that end in mind and not as ends in themselves;

• Parliamentarians from countries in extended nuclear deterrence relationships have a vital role to support nuclear disarmament through phasing out the role of nuclear weapons in their security doctrines;

• Current barriers to nuclear disarmament could be overcome through commencing a preparatory process which would explore the legal, technical, institutional and political requirements for a nuclear-weapons free world. This process could be guided, but would not be bound by, the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention circulated by the UN SecretaryGeneral.

• The Nuclear Weapons Convention provides a non-discriminatory approach which builds on currently existing mechanisms, such as the CTBTO and IAEA -and fills in the gaps.

• Nuclear disarmament can constitute an important part of disarmament for development releasing resources that can be applied to meeting UN Millennium Development Goals

• Collaboration between legislators, governments and civil society is required to ensure success.

• Disarmament and peace education is vital to build political constituencies to support action by parliaments and governments for nuclear disarmament.

Mr Chairman,

We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with governments to ensure a successful outcome to the 2010 NPT review Conference and the effective implementation of its outcome. Our citizens would expect no less from us.

I thank you for your attention.