The Maldives has expressed its desire for the total elimination of all weapons of mass destruction during the debate on "General and complete disarmament" at the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In its statement, the Maldives noted that it does not produce any armaments or weapons of any type nor has any ambitions to do so. Yet, the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction is as real to the Maldives as to any other country in the world, the statement said.
The Maldives expressed its commitment to fulfil its moral obligation to work with every member of the international community committed to abolish these weapons. The Maldives fulfil this responsibility, inter alia, by being a member to all major treaty regimes and raising its voice in respective debates and negotiations, including the establishment of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace.
Stressing the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of a nuclear strike, Maldives welcomes the institutionalization of the Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons, the third of which will be held this December in Vienna.
During its statement, the Maldives also highlighted that it is in the process of acceding to the Arms Trade Treaty. The Maldives stated that it considers it a proof of success for the global control of illicit trade in arms that this treaty will enter into force at the end of this year. Moreover, the Maldives pointed out that the threat posed by small weapons and light arms in the wrong hands is fought on the Maldivian domestic level by stringent laws on arms control.
The statement at the First Committee of the General Assembly was delivered by His Excellency Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations.
