Statement by H.E. Stjepan Mesic, President of the Republic of Croatia, on the UN Security Council Summit on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies, Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to be able to present the views of the Republic of Croatia on the topic put on the agenda for today's session. I avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate the United States and you personally, President Obama, on the initiative for the Security Council to discuss the extremely delicate issue of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
If this session brings us just one step further on our way to the world without nuclear weapons, the world that you, president Obama, set as a visionary goal that we should strive to, this will be a success. I reiterate: even if we make one single step towards this goal. For the path leading to a world without nuclear weapons is not, cannot and will not be easy, or simple or short.
This, however, does not mean that we should abandon it or allow dejection prevail in our mind and actions. Quite the contrary!
The world faced nuclear weapons exactly 54 years ago. The appalling effects of its use almost immediately also called for thinking about limiting its proliferation, which was attempted through a set of international agreements. Yet despite all this, today we are living in a world with a dozen or so nuclear powers, some recognized as such and some not. I say “powers” on purpose as possessing one single nuclear bomb turns the country owning it into a power – if the consequences of its potential use are taken into account.
Not to mention the fact that today's world is struggling with the evil of international terrorism or what it would mean if a terrorist group got hold of a nuclear weapon.
What we should do, today and here, is – the way my country sees it – the following: to further affirm the role of the United Nations, without any intention whatsoever to replace any institution or forum dealing with non-proliferation, and to stress concertedly and jointly the following, taking also into account the previous UN Security Council and UN General Assembly documents:
On the one hand, it is necessary to make every effort to ensure first the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and then nuclear disarmament, but at the same time – with even stricter generally accepted international control measures if necessary – to guarantee each and every country its right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
To be more precise, we must help reassert, or better to say establish principles which will help us build a world with no nuclear weapons, without focusing on this or that particular issue in the process.
There is one more thing we must do: firstly, we must back without any reserves the contractual multilateral system of nuclear weapons control and disarmament, which involves a strict enforcement and stronger verification of contractual obligations and, secondly, we must invite all UN member states to contribute to activities aimed at preventing abuses of the existing agreements and strengthening anti-proliferation efforts and resources.
Efforts aimed at first restricting and then reducing the quantity of nuclear weapons and finally leading to disarmament are not new. However, they were given a new, strong impetus by the statement made by the President of the United States that a world without nuclear weapons was his ultimate goal. Pursuant to this, we should take it upon ourselves today to send the message to the world, which gave us the authority to be present here, that there is political will to implement policies which provide security to all countries, and this without nuclear weapons.
By doing so we shall join the ranks of long-standing campaigners for a world without nuclear weapons, among others the UN Secretary-General, NGOs and civil society activists, current and former political leaders, MPs and – finally – scientists, trade unions members and students.
Our goal is – peace in security. This goal cannot be attained through a threat of nuclear weapons. The decades of the cold war, when, it is true, we had global peace, but through a balance of fear, yet we did not have security – are the best proof of that.
The Republic of Croatia is willing to provide its maximum contribution to the efforts made to reach this goal. As for myself, belonging to the generation of those who lived through the Second World War and who remember its aftermath with all the local wars and crises which threatened global peace, I can do nothing but add that we owe this to those who will come after us.
Upon our departure – let us leave them a better world, a world without nuclear weapons.
Thank you for your attention.
Press releases
