Qatar affirmed its continued support for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East in order to spare the region from the specter of wars and unrest. The country stressed the need to accelerate the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East in accordance with Security Council Resolution (487) of 1981, Paragraph (14) of Security Council Resolution (687) of 1991, and relevant General Assembly resolutions.

Qatar’s stance was conveyed by Hussain Mohammed Al Safran, a member of Qatar’s delegation to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, before the First Committee debate on item: Nuclear Weapons, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

The statement noted that the world today is going through rapidly evolving challenges. The growing tensions at the regional and international levels prove that the nuclear non-proliferation system is at a critical stage. Therefore, it is necessary for the international community to intensify efforts on disarmament at all levels and commit to nuclear disarmament. These weapons must be eliminated completely in a verifiable and irreversible manner under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the statement said.

The international community awaits the complete elimination of those weapons. The nuclear-weapon states’ current “progressive” approach has not brought about tangible progress. Real progress requires constructive participation, stronger commitment and legally binding action by States parties, the statement added.

“In light of the tensions and conflicts in many regions around the world, Qatar appeals to governments and relevant international organisations to fulfil their role under the NPT to reverse the current trend and activate mechanisms for implementing Article VI of the Treaty in the nuclear-weapon states,” the statement added.

“Qatar urges people to exercise their role in reminding their governments of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences resulting from any use of nuclear weapons and the need to comprehensively prohibit and eliminate them,” the statement concluded.