TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia, as president of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), highlighted the need to strengthen the commitment to global disarmament at the High-Level Segment of the CD in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday (February 26).

At the conference, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi urged countries possessing nuclear weapons to fulfill their obligations, including those stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

"I conveyed that Indonesia has ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and is ready to push for its universalization," she noted in a written statement from her ministry.

Marsudi explained that Indonesia, along with ASEAN countries, continues to push for the prompt signing of the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (SEANWFZ) protocol by permanent members of the UN Security Council.

In the forum, the minister also encouraged countries to make progress in disarmament, both on the procedural and substantive sides.

"The main focus should be on issues that have reached an agreement, such as Negative Security Assurances that are legally binding and the fossil material cut-off treaty," she remarked.

Furthermore, she highlighted the need for cooperation in responding to new challenges in security.

She opined that the CD must be adaptive and responsive to the changing security landscape, including the emergence of new technologies in the weapons systems and modern warfare, as well as realizing a treaty to prevent an arms race in outer space.

"At the end of my statement, I expressed my condemnation against the discourse on Israel's use of nuclear weapons to threaten the people of Gaza. I also urged a halt to arms shipments to Israel to prevent further loss of life," she remarked.

She expressed regret over the failure to reach an agreement on Palestine's application to become an observer in the conference.

The CD, which comprises 65 member states including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, is a multilateral negotiation forum that discusses disarmament efforts.

At the meeting, chaired by the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN in Geneva Febrian A. Ruddyard, Marsudi also emphasized the importance of overcoming the deadlock currently faced by the conference.

"As the president, Indonesia is committed to encouraging transparency, balance, and constructive dialogues," she affirmed.

ANTARA

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