Mr. President,

On behalf of the African group let me congratulate you upon your unanimous election as the President of this 20 10 Review Conference of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We believe that your diplomatic experience coupled with an untiring quest for a successful outcome shall be of immense value to our deliberations. You can count on the customary African group's support. The African Group, associating itself with the statement of the Non-Aligned Movement earlier delivered by Indonesia, will also like to emphasize the following elements:

The African Group is calling on all Member States of the UN to demonstrate sufficient political goodwill and requisite flexibility and deep understanding with a . view to achieving concrete results in this important conference.

ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

Nuclear Weapons still represent the greatest threat to humanity and therefore the African Group calls for the total universal, verifiable and irreversible elimination of Nuclear Weapons as provided by the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.

Mr. President,

The African Group believes that the concept of the Pillars of Nuclear disarmament and Non-Proliferation are both important and mutually reinforcing.

Nuclear Weapon States should implement in good faith all their obligations and commitments under the NPT its various review process, desist from developing new types of nuclear weapons, and grant unconditionally, Negative Security Assurances to Non Nuclear Weapon States in the spirit and letters of NPT, and within a legally -binding framework.

While we note the various bilateral and unilateral efforts in the field of disarmament, we believe that multilateral negotiations will be most effective in matters of disarmament and International peace and security.

We wish to reaffirm the urgent need for commitment of the Nuclear Weapon States to all the 13 Practical Steps including the necessity to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their security policies as a step towards non use in any circumstances and to minimize the risk that these weapons will ever be used pending the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.

We wish to reaffirm that the IAEA is the sole competent authority responsible for verifying and assuring compliance by States Parties with their safeguards agreements undertaken in fulfillment of their Treaty obligations; with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices, as well as the global focal point for nuclear technical cooperation.

The African Group is convinced that an early entry into force of the CTBT to enforce a comprehensive ban on all forms of nuclear test explosions is a concrete and meaningful step in the realization of a systematic process to achieve nuclear disarmament. It stresses the significance of achieving universal adherence to the

CTBT, including by all Nuclear Weapon States which will contribute to the achievement ofNuclear Disarmament.

Mr. President,

The African Group salutes the recent entry into force of regional Nuclear

Weapon Free Zone treaties including the African Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone 15th

Treaty (the Pelindaba Treaty) which came into force on July, 2009. The African Group particularly calls upon the NWS and the other remaining State that have not done so, to ratify the Treaty protocols unconditionally and without further delay.

In this connection, Africa reiterates its support for the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East in implementation of relevant United Nations General Assembly resolutions on this matter, and in order to realize the goals and objectives of the "Resolution on the Middle East" adopted at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. To this end, the African group is calling upon the state parties the Nuclear Weapon States, in particular the three sponsors of the 1995 ME Resolution to support the regional stake holders' efforts towards the urgent establishment of the Zone.

On peaceful uses, the African Group wishes to stress the need for the commitment of developed countries to facilitate and assist the legitimate development of nuclear energy of the developing countries by allowing them to participate to the fullest in the possible transfer of nuclear equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for peaceful purposes with a view to achieving maximum benefits and applying pertinent sustainable development in their health, industry, agriculture and other development related activities.

We call on all delegations to demonstrate the necessary political will to enhance progress on the issue of disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

Mr. President, I thank you.