>> live now to new york city. >> of the whole international community for the integrity of the weapons convention and the effort of the organization for the prohibition of the chemical weapons. the second issue i would like to highlight is the proliferation of nuclear weapons. permit me to make three points

regarding this matter. firstly, we all know that nuclear weapons cannot be brought on the -- bought on the free market. therefore every act of proliferation of these weapons is a failure of both the international community and the world order. and we must remember that it it always involves not only the state that develops nuclear capacity, but also those who provide it with means to achieve it, namely technology, materials, and resources. it's most important for every agreement that control nuclear weapons to guarantee that they are used solely for peaceful purposes. we have an obligation to evaluate those aa greements against the purposes and to act accordingly. we should not turn our heads back from those who act against

the nonproliferation treaty by providing means to develop nuclear weapon capacity or assist in other ways in eveloping it it. -- developing it. an export controls mechanism should be upheld by all countries involving nuclear, chemical, and biological trade for peaceful purposes in order to maintain appropriate control level of dual used goods and make nonproliferation effort more effective. until this regard, we welcome the international atomic energy agency's effort to strictly monitor and verify iran's commitments. let me also use this opportunity to comment the vital role the agency plays in the nonproliferation area, the agency's system of safeguards is a fundamental complement of the nuclear and nonproliferation regime and plays an indefensible

role in the implementation of the n.t.t. secondly, i would like to welcome the prospect of the process of denuclearization of the korean peninsula. we have seen some encouraging developments such as the interkorean summits and the meeting of kim jong il with president donald trump. this led to the stopping of the missile and nuclear tests, and i would like to stress, mr. resident, that this is a tremendous measure your and presidents moon great achievement and merit. thank you very much. however, the steps have yet to be made. the lasting peace will not be achieved without denuclearization of the north korea in a complete, verifiable,

and irreversible manner. until then the international community must remain united in maintaining real and consistent pressure on the north korean, including by upholding u.n. sanctions regime. thirdly, for the credibility of international community it's vital to stand firmly behind duties and obligations we took on our shoulders. in that context, let me reflect on the concerning developments of security situation in our region, central and eastern europe. only in the last few years we have witnessed a clear bridge of the memorandum that guaranteed the integrity of ukraine in exchange of its peaceful and voluntary denuclearization. we have also heard about the use of nuclear weapons to end conventional conflicts. equally alarming was the deployment of a dual capital

means of delivery close to our borders. all these actions have significantly contributed to the deterioration of the security environment. ladies and gentlemen, what should be our response to challenges i have just listed? first, the full and firm implementation of the well established and widely recognized treaty and -- norms of the international law. second, supporting full confidence for the work of international mechanisms responsible for preventing of the use of weapons of mass destruction. finally, constructive engagement in initiatives which aim at fighting proliveation at airports and promoting transparency and verification. in 2018, my country assumed the

chairmanship of the second comity for the 2020 review of the treaty and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. in short, the hague condults against lipids proliferation. our efforts have been focused on strengthening this regime's, universalization, securing the widespread and credible verification mechanism, implementation of good practices, as well as fighting the international corporation. -- cooperation. these actions constitute long-term objectives of the polish security policy. in conclusion, let me stress once again that nonproliferation is a collective effort. to uphold the security architecture which we have built for decades and to prevent the nightmares uses of weapons of

mass destruction. we need full commitment of all of us without any exception to observe all norms and obligations in this field. thank you very much. president trump: thank you very much, mr. president. i now give the floor to the president of equatorial guinea. thank you. >> through translator] thank you, president. your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. it is for me a pleasure and honor to address for the first time in person this forum on behalf and representation of the republic of equatorial guinea. i thank the united states of america for holding this open

debate this morning and we congratulate the united states on their excellent work as president of the council for the month of september. disarmament is one of the longest standing goals of the united nations. indeed, it was the subject of the very first security council resolution on the 25th of january, 1946. when the security council dopted the resolution of the united nations security council. in article 47 of the charter of he united nations. 72 years have elapsed since the adoption of the aforementioned resolution by the security council. and today the world is once

again in an arms race which has led many states to feel themselves compelled to acquire a range of weapons of all kinds for their defense. more specifically has led them feeling compelled to obtain weapons of mass destruction. nuclear arsenals exacerbate tensions between states and hinders the drive for peace, but they also put in jeopardy the very continued existence of humankind. our country, the republic of equatorial guinea, does not possess nor does it intend ever to acquire, weapons of mass destruction. and we have adopted measures to guarantee the strict and full implementation of the commitments and obligations that we bear to the international community in this sphere of

nonproliferation. we have ratified the treaty for the establishment of a nuclear eapon-free zone. nuclear disarmament, thought to be a priority if not the priority of the agenda of the international community. in two years, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the entry in force of the nonproliferation treaty or m.p.t., which entered into force in 1970 and which is an international instrument that made it possible to halt the spread and proliferation of nuclear weapons to those countries that as of that date were nonnuclear weapons states. sadly it it did not achieve the elimination by nuclear weapon

tates of their arsenals. there has always been a deep resistence by nuclear weapon states to comply with the provisions of the n.p.t. which apply to the implementation of nuclear disarmament. the costs borne by nuclear powers to maintain these arsenals and in some instances o modernize these arsenals far outstrip the object of all nations of the african union taken together. the budget is greater than the budget of four of our nations. the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction poses a threat to international peace and security and it it undermines the security council in its role of working to prevent the spread

and production of such weapons of mass destruction. to counter the proliferation and use of weapons of mass estruction, it is vital to pursue the implementation of and compliance with those international treaties related to nonproliferation. as well as to ensure implementation, compliance with, security council resolution 1540 in 2004. there's also need to lend support to the proliferation of security initiative, to the global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism, action is also needed to ban any tests of nuclear weapons, to share information between states, and international organizations. there is also an urgent and pressing need to implement systems of joint verification

for tion and oversight arsenals and research facilities of this type for arsenals and. it should include securing. in addition, there is a pressing need to pursue negotiations with nuclear weapon states in order to ensure that they rule out effectively and genuinely the option of using nuclear weapons. that must also be taken to ensure the nuclear arsenals are secured and the rights of all parties to make peaceful use of nuclear energy must be recognized and upheld. finally, the republic of equatorial guinea is alarmed

because the united nations seems to be in a paradoxical situation . there seems to be a disconnect between steps taken here in this house and actions taken by some states claiming their off rept, which is undermining what should be an angst of partnership and solidarity. two days ago, we had and extreme ly summit to remember the extraordinary african leader, nelson mandela, and we spoke out to reject confrontation and war. to live up to his lega sane living up to the legacy of nelson mandela, we expect that we might be taking the world to peace, security development, and well-being for all. .

voices its determination to continue working towards the negotiation and adoption of legally binding instruments. that will lead to nuclear disarmament in an effective, irreversible and verifiable way in order to achieve the objective of the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons. the international community of

nations should also be worried by the potential humanitarian consequences and the global impact of any accidental or intentional nuclear detonation. and the international community of nations should cooperate on a level of international security to prevent normal state actors on getting the resources for them to be able to pursue nuclear terror. president, the republic of he n with a torial guinea is -- of orial guinea is part the iaea. i conclude the statement on behalf of the republic of equatorial guiny by showing with you our -- guinea by showing you that on the

continent of africa there has never been weapons of mass destruction. what has caused enormous loss of life and bloodshed in our couldn't innocent is the trafficking and weapons, terrorism, and the conflict distaint on ed our continent. i request you to support the african union in its noble objective of financing for peacekeeping operations led by frican union on a case-by-case basis. i ask the security council to lend their support for financing mechanism for peace and security operations given that so doing would contory butte to international peace and security which is the principal goal of this august

body, the security council of the united nations. thank you very much. president trump: thank you, mr. president. i now give the floor to the president of bolivia. >> president of the united states of america, my brother, secretary general of the united nations, fellow presidents, brothers and sisters of the security council, the presidency of the security council has convened the members of this body to discussion on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. bolivia hails from a region which has been duly declared nuclear weapon-free for more than half a century now. for this reason, i think i am in position to recall article number 1 of the prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons which states that each state party

commits to never and under no circumstance developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, acquiring in any other way, possessing, stockpiling nuclear weapons or other nuclear devices. president morales: i call upon all states around this table to to up to, to ratify and implement this provision and indeed all the provisions. this is the best way of avoiding the catastrophic possibility of the use of weapons of this nature. this is a moral imperative and a duty that we owe to future generations. brothers and sisters of the world, the member states of the united nations are obliged to comply with the core purposes and principles of the charter of 1945. above all, we are obliged to

abide by the principle of resolving international disputes to the use of peaceful settlement mechanisms. quite the contrary -- this is a call for negotiation, diplomacy, dialogue and legal settlement. and these are the principles that should guide the actions of countries. bolivia is convinced that only through using these will we be able to build finer societies and societies willing to shoulder the shared responsibility. we have top cable kaipable of putting behind us and leaving on the pages of history books the primitive use of weapons to attack other people. i would like to highlight as an example the contribution made by the international court of justice. the primary jew dish body of the united nations system which has been able to effectively

resolve disputes in states across the world in different situations and complaints. brothers and sisters, it is crucial to have a discussion not just on the effects but above all on the structure and root causes that lead to war. and on the genuine and true motivations of the assaults on international peace, security and justice we are seeing. let us take the example of iran, a country which has been referred to this morning. in 1953, the united states financed, planned, implemented a coup d'etat against a democratically elected government which in exercise of its legitimate sovereignty nationalized its oil production in the hands of an angelo company. after that for many decades, the united states supported and

-- which allowed the profit from oil production to line the pockets of transnational companies. this situation had the revolution of 1979. now that iron has retaken -- iran has retaken control, it is once again the victim of u.s. siege. bolivia, categoryally convinced that -- against iran, likewise, we condemn the fact that united jcpoa, as -- from the hiding behind pretext to continue its policy of interference and meddling in the internal affairs of this brother country, iran. brothers and sisters of the curity council, we wish to return to the middle east, a region which in natural resources but as it is affected

by invasion, war, and unjustified aggression. that continues to cause pain and suffering for the peoples of the middley. this region of the world has been the setting for the three most egregious act of aggression committed during the 21st century. the first aggression was the legal invasion of iran based on the lie that that country possessed weapons of mass destruction. this invasion led to more than a million deaths. the second act of aggression is the overthrow of the government of libya. which led to tens of thousands of deaths. pretending it was for humanitarian reasons. as a consequence, it triggered serious political instability and unleashed a humanitarian crisis across thorte africa. the third is the civil war in syria which, over the last eight years, has cost the lives

of more than half a million people. this war is the direct result f the interference and armed terrorist organizations put against the syrian government. brothers and sisters, over the last few months, the united states has once again demonstrated its contempt for international law, multi lateralism. each time that united states invades nations or finances regime change, it does so behind a propaganda campaign which repeats the message that it is acting in the cause of justice, freedom, and democracy in the cause of humanitarian rights or for humanitarian reasons. i would like to say to you frankly and openly here, in no way is the united states interested in helping democracy. it would not have financed the

coup d'etat. it would not have threatened with military intervention democratically elected governments as it has done with venezuela. the united states does not care about humanitarian rights. if that's the case they would not have signed the international convention of treaties for the protection of human rights. it would not have threatened the investigation mechanism of the international criminal court. nor would it promote the use of torture. nor would it have moved away from the human rights council and nor would it have separated migrant children from their families nor put them in cages. the united states is not interested in multilateralism. if it were interested in multilateralism, it would not have withdrawn from the past agreement or given -- global combat on mige rants. it would not have launched attacks nor have taken decisions such as illegally declaring jerusalem to be the capital of israel.

this contempt from multilateralism is motivated by the president of the united states -- seizing of natural resources. brothers and sisters, in light of the aforementioned situation, i'd like to highlight those countries, france, germany, the united kingdom, russia, who have held firm in defense of the nuclear agreement by iraq which -- those countries have not abandoned the paris agreement. those countries that defend equality of states. those countries that uphold the principle of noninterference in domestic affairs. those countries that respect international law and respect those commitments freely entered into and defend multilateralism, our congratulations to those countries. the responsibility of our generation is to hand over a fairer and more secure world to the following generation. we will only achieve this dream if we work together to consolidate a world with common

rules which are respected by and defended from all threats ranged against the united nations. thank you very much. president trump: thank you very much. i now give the floor to his xcellency from peru. >> good morning. i would like to greet personally president donald trump and my greetings, also, go to the dignitaries and high officials present. peru welcomes the convening of this high level meeting to focus the attention of the world and of the security council on the need to halt in its tracks the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the delivery systems. in particular, today marks the international day for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. throughout its history, this council has stood united in the

fight against the proliferation of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons as well as their delivery system and has done so commensurate with this body's chief responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. which t meza-cuadra: was part of the charter of the united nations. the action of this council, the proik development of international regime -- based on a range of binding instruments adopted by this organization and by its member states. the most recent of these instruments is the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons of 2017 which we hope will one day be ratified by all countries and in particular by those who possess nuclear arsenals. this is -- thanks to the treaty, latin america and the

caribbean is already a nuclear weapon-free zone. and this has been a key building block in our march towards making our region one of peace. peru has a staunch supporter of the nonproliferation regime architecture and falls to the letter the obligation established in the respected relevant instrument and we also considered -- security council in the relevant resolutions. as a member of the security council, we actively promote strict compliance of all with said provisions. we believe that international peace and security can only be achieved by eliminating the risk that weapons of mass destruction represent. and achieving that goal is simply by ensuring there are no weapons of mass destruction. thus, we wish to declare nonproliferation should go hand in hand with strict controls

over conventional weapons. from our perspective, addressing the challenge posed by the nuclear and ballistic programs of the democratic republic of korea. president vizcarra: we hail the high level of diplomacy that your administration and you personally, mr. trump, has been engaged to achieve complete verifiable and irreversible nuclear by the korean peninsula. we believe the nuclear nonproliferation regime should be upheld as well through the joint compre hencive plan of action, jcpoa, a plan that was endorsed by this security council in resolution 2231. additionally, we will grant and

condemn the use of chemical weapons in the syrian conflict as well as in the british city f salisbury. against this complex background and to conclude, we wish to underscore the importance of diplomacy, of multilateralism, of international law, of confidence building measures as principles for strengthening . e nonproliferation we note in many instances, it's the perception of security that leads to an arms race and even to the development of new weapons and tactics of war. it is therefore necessary, in our view, to address these perceptions to counter the proliferation and to boost disarmament, investing in cooperation, trade, and international development. because technology should be

wielded in peace and progress, rather than destruction. thank you very much. president trump: thank you very much. appreciate it. i'd like to now give the floor the vice president of coate de vare. >> thank you, mr. president. mr. president, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, house of delegations, i'd like to first of all thank the u.s. president for having convened this high level of discussion on the issue of the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. d like to also we can the -- your excellency, the presents of heads of states and governments, personalities which makes this meeting all the more significant and the topic is of great importance for our work. mr. president, the rapid

development of weapons of mass destruction resulted in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. these weapons feed violence and conflict. it makes the issue of nonproliferation into an issue of survival for humankind. indeed, despoit all of the efforts that have been deployed by the international community in order to achieve a nuclear weapons-free world, nonetheless, we still are under the common threat from these weapons as well as biological and chemical weapons. as of today, there are 14,500 nuclear weapons in the world. these weapons bring in the risk of nuclear conflict which would have irreversible humanitarian and environmental consequences and this is a real challenge for our organization. we also deplore the trend of someday to show, to invest great amounts and modernizing

nuclear weapons but putting little into the elimination of such weapons. president duncan: the nonproliferation treaty, which is considered the cornerstone of the nonproliferation regime is today being severely tested and there is a significant divergens of views during the conference which takes place very five years. the noncompliance on disarmament and nonproliferation is a serious risk for security and could lead to the nonstate actors a quiring weapons of mass destruction. the issue of the iranian nuclear issue, the situation in the middle east in syria with allegations of chemical weapons use, the use of ballistic weapons in yemen, and the

korean peninsula nuclearization, real difficult -- real sources of concern for international community. these situations are such that they compel us to place the issue of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction among the highest priorities. given the situation, the security council, which is to maintain international peace and security, has to continue shouldering the responsibility in the area of nonproliferation. in this context, our goals for the implementation of the relevant resolutions of security council and the implementation of the various legal instruments, those which are covering the areas of disarmament and nonproliferation, we invite, therefore, member states to discharge support -- prohibition of chemical weapons to discharge their obligations which stem from the convention which bans the development manufacturing, stockpiling the

use of chemical weapons and calls for the destruction. in this context, i'd like to ivoire is te d' part of the conventions -- we incorporate it into our international laws, all of the commitments which flow from national legal instruments. in the disarmament >> the step-by-step approach did not result in the desired effects and we called those states which have nuclear weapons to consider a more effective approach. mr. president, we welcome the adoption on the 7th of july, 2017, of the treaty banning nuclear weapons. underscore to implement it rapidly. which is considered and rightly so as a common good for humankind warrants our constant attention and requires an urgent adoption of an international legally binding instrument in order present an

arms race in space and make sure it does not become militarized. further, we underscore the need for the international community to have a more binding instrument in the area of biological and toxic weapons. we also would like to express a wish for a universal and nondiscriminatory instrument in order to provide a security guarantee for nonnuclear states. on chemical weapons, we call for a universalization of the convention of chemical weapons and the implementation of resolution 1540 of 2004 and resolution 2325 of 2016. disregard the mandate conferred on the special meeting on the 26th and 27th of july in the hague to eye debitify and bring -- identify and bring to justice could greatly

contribute to settling the issues related to the use of kim well kl weapons use. we call on the security council to stand united on this issue. mr. president, with regard to the iran nuclear issue, my delegation supports the implementation of the joint comprehensive plan of action, which is considered to be overall satisfactory. in this regard, we would like to invite the stakeholders to work out their differences over this agreement which resulted with extraordinary international compromise and remains to date a certain guarantee for the implementation of the n.p.t. and helps with regional stability. mr. president, on the situation on the korean peninsula, we welcome the positive developments we have been witnessing recently. the historic meeting on the 12th of june in singapore between your excellency and the north korean leader, kim jong

un, is a may you jor milestone in this new regional dynamic. we reiterate here attachment to the principles of peace resettling disputes through dialogue and talk and we urge all of the stakeholders to reject definitively any use of military option which could lead to terrible and irreversible consequences on the planet. we want to reaffirm our attachment to international law and underscore the need to assign high priority to the preservation of the nonproliferation regime, nonproliferation nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and promotion of disarmament and arms control. i thank you for your attention. president trump: thank you very much. i now give the floor to the prime minister of the united kingdom. prime minister may: thank you, mr. president.

thank you for convening this important debate. there is no greater debate than the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. these issues matter to every man, woman, and child around the globe. the united kingdom, like the other permanent members of this council, has a special responsibility to protect the significant gains we have made in the last 70 years. because the international community has invested huge energy into containing the horrific forces that were in the 20th century, the multiframework of treaty, countering weapons of mass destruction, is one of the greatest achievements of the international community, demonstrating the valve global cooperation. it has improved all of our security. it has brought a measure of predictability and stability and paved the way to arms control agreement. when many around this table was born, it was feared dozens of nuclear weapon states might emerge. instead, the treaty the

nonproliferation of nuclear weapons has seen a remarkable near 30 states abandon their pursuit of weapons. global stockpiles have reduced peak. since the cold war similar, achievement has been achieved on chemical and biological weapons. 96% declared stockpiles of chemical weapons have been destroyed under international verification and no country professes publicly to possess biological weapons. the last 18 months has seen these hard won gains challenged. we've seen chemical weapons used in syria, malaysia, the u.k. the conventions are being picked at. predictability and stability are declining. if we do not increase our collective efforts to preserve and build on what we have, there is a very real risk these gains will subside or fall

away. the 1970 nonproliferation treaty is rightry perceived as the flagship of the international community's determination against nuclear proliferation. supporting it requires leadership. leadership your administration and you personally, mr. president, are demonstrating on dprk, the world's most pressing nuclear threat. in meeting kim jong un, you have created an historic opportunity for complete, verifiable and reversible denuclearization. consensus from this council to impose sanctions on dprk has played no smart part but we will not have meaningful progress towards peace on the korean peninsula without pressure. sanctions must be enforced by all, including the dpra's neighbors. we must stay vigilant. ensuring nonproliferation also requires collective leadership. the type that led to the agreement in 2015, joint comprehensive plan of action,

the iran nuclear deal. for many years the scare and nature of iran's nuclear program raised serious international concerns. the jcpoa was an important step forward in addressing these. it remains the best means of preventing iran developing a nuclear weapon and we are committed to preserving the jcpoa as long as iran continues to abide by its every obligations in full. iran must ensure they implement their obligations fully and to monitor iran's compliance, we strongly support the iaea using inspections and other monitoring provisions of the jcpoa to their full. other aspects of iran's policies in particular, its destabilizing regional behavior and sustained efforts to enhance its ballistic missile capability continues to cause serious concerns. the international community and where appropriate the security council need to be ready to address this. last, proliferation of missile and sophisticated military

technology to groups like hezbollah in lebanon or as the u.n.'s panel of experts huetas in yemen. it risks a dangerous escalation so we need to see action in this council to talk about the technologies. it is regrettable that russia continues to prevent the council from upholding its responsibility to stop this destabilizing activity. mr. president, nowhere are the grim consequences of the erosion of global norms on weapons of mass destruction more than in syria where the u.n. has included the assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons. a direct assault on a near century old ban vital to our collective peace and security. yet, russia has repeatedly wielded its veto to prevent the security council from holding the assad regime to account.

even shutting down the international body established to investigate chemical weapons use in syria. so i welcome the decision of 150 countries in june, the largest gathering in its history, to empower the opcw to attribute responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in syria and to put in place arrangements for any country which requests it. and i would like to thank president trump and president mack ron for their shared -- -- to for their shared have us-uk-french joint military action in april. perpetrators of chemical weapons use cannot escape our identification or act with impunity. the regime's backers must use their influence to ensure chemical weapons are not used again. there must be no doubt we will respond swiftly and appropriately if they are. the u.k. saw the consequences of these norms being eroded in

salisbury this year when russia recklessly deployed a nerve agent on our streets. the united kingdom has provided detailed evidence clearly laid out in charges of attempted murder and use and possession of a chemical weapons against two agents of the russian state. we have taken appropriate action with our allies and we will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure our collective security. russia has only sought to obfuscate through desperate -- permanent members of the u.n. security council must not attack and undermine the international nonproliferation regime and the institutiones in a underpin them. all members of the council must fulfill their responsibilities to safeguard them in support of international peace and security. it is my sincere hope that russia will rejoin the international consensus against the use of chemical weapons and the collective effort to uphold it. if so, the this council will again be able to work together

to rid the world of chemical weapons. but if not, we should leave no one in any doubt of the international community's determination to uphold international nonproliferation regimes. not all the challenges faced by the counterproliferation framework come before this council but they are no less urgent. we need to strengthen the rules to keep pace with new technologies and more complex global supply chains. we must hold every u.n. member to develop their capabilities and regulation and ensure they are able to make their contribution to this global effort. the quiet but essential role the united nations plays must be at the heart of these efforts. so as u.n. members we should invest the expertise and diplomatic resources necessary in the convention. mr. president, it was collective engagement by states across the globe that produced the counterproliferation framework. even the most powerful recognize that investing in collective rules based restraint with the only effective way of addressing

national security interests and avoiding recourse. we cannot let the framework be undermined today by those who reject the values and disregard the rules that have kept us safe. it will take collective engagement to reinforce it in the face of today's challenges. and in this, as has always been the case, the u.k. will play a leading role. thank you. president prump: thank you -- president trump: thank you very much, prime minister. i now give the floor to the prime minister of the netherlands. >> mr. president, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this year, there has been several occasions when weapons of mass destruction security ered our undermine international stability and cause terrible suffering. so 2018 has made the importance of nonproliferation abundantly clear. i agree with you, mr. president, that as politicians

we are first and foremost responsible to keep our own citizens safe. and i believe that institutions play a major role. as i will say in my dress to the general assembly later today, the king of the netherlands has always championed and will continue to champion the rules-based international order and international cooperation. prime minister rutte: especially on areas of shared concern. cooperation requires active support from all of us, including and even especially on the issue of weapons of mass destruction. we should acknowledge the significant achievements that have been made in controlling these weapons. for 50 years now, the nonproliferation treaty has nuclear number of weapon possessors under 10. we can imagine how much conflict, instability and violence this has prevented. so i encourage that the u.s.,

russian and british foreign ministers have underlined their commitment to the n.p.t. on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. we have seen some positive steps of nonproliferation this year in relation to north korea. the ultimate goal of our joint efforts is to ensure that north korea abandons its nuclear ballistic missile capabilities and its programs on weapons of mass destruction. it should do in in comprehensive, verifiable and irreversible manner. we welcome the efforts you, mr. president, are personally making to achieve a nuclear weapon-free korean peninsula. for we know this can only be resolved peacefully. as chair of the sanctions committee, the netherlands is doing everything it can to ensure that all nations fully implement sanctions. so as to keep up the pressure on north korea to comply with

its international obligations. the king of the netherlands believes that the joint comprehensive plan of action, endorsed by the security council resolution 2231, remains a good example of how this council and the international community can work hand in hand for nonproliferation. the international atomic energy agency has concluded in 12 consecutive reports that iran is abiding by its commitments under the deal. as long as this continues, we will also uphold our commitment to the deal. at the same time, we are concerned about our role in the region, its ballistic missile program, iran, and the human rights record. iran's support for hezbollah and the development of missiles by the houthis in yemen, remains a serious concern for the netherlands. they need to be addressed. mr. speaker, repeated use of

chemical weapons is deeply alarming. it causes terrible human suffering and erodes the established international norm. there should be no impunity for any use of chemical weapons. not for the large-scale attacks in syria nor for attacks in malaysia and the united kingdom. the same goes for the possible use of chemical weapons by the syrian regime in italy. all of us, both in and outside this council, bear a responsibility. because we have tasked the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons, to investigate and identify those responsible for the use of these weapons. we cannot sit back. we have to speak up, take action and support the opcw so the perpetrators can be brought to justice and we need to do this together. indecisiveliness by countries that claims disarmament and

nonproliferation could ultimately have disastrous consequences. and with regard to this, the salisbury attack reaffirms our confidence in the u.k. investigations. we welcome bringing criminal charges as an important step to its justice. this bolsters our earlier conclusion that it is essential to hold those responsible to account. mr. president, to conclude, the devastating consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction underline the urgent need to take action. the use of these weapons must never become the new normal. we must prevent impunity at all costs. a legal norm can only be effective if we collectively uphold it. together, as part of a multilateral effort. thank you. president trump: i thank the prime minister for his statement. i now give the floor to the deputy administrator -- prime

minister and administrator of kuwait. >> in the name of ali, the merciful, compassionate, the mr. president, donald trump, at the outset i'd like to express my satisfaction and pleasure of seeing your excellency provide over this summit of the security council. we appreciate your -- which confirms you attach the just most priority to one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, namely, weapons of ass destruction. the discussion we are having in this chamber comes at a delicate stage amidst complex circumstances facing our world today. that is especially so in the middle east. in addition to the spread of conflict and terrorism, we are

facing the threat of use of weapons of mass destruction. the threats posed by w.m.d.'s is flonger hype theyic. we saw -- is no longer hypothetical. we saw this in many places around the world. here i would like to reiterate kuwait's constant and incipled position of nonproliferation. kuwait condemns all weapons of mass destruction anywhere at anytime and by any party. the use of w.m.d.'s is a grave violation of international law. the establishment of peace, security, and stability in the world cannot be achieved in the resence of such weapons. we have recently witnessed the

horrors of kim well weapon attacks undertaken by state and nonstate actors in syria. such attacks confirm that the threats of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has not declined despite numerous treaties and resolutions criminalizing the use of such weapons. we are following with great possibility of future attacks using weapons of mass destruction whether in syria or lsewhere in the world. we emphasize the primary importance in the security council in -- thereby ensuring the implementation of relevant international resolutions, particularly security council resolution 1540 of 2004.

mr. president, the kingdom of saudi arabia is facing unprecedented attacks from ballistic missiles launched by the militias toward its territories targeting civilian and religious sites. the state of kuwait reiterates its strong condemnation and denounceation of the rocket attacks targeting the kingdom of saudi arabia in particular and the region in general. we also emphasize the need for the security council to take action and shoulder its responsibilities in confronting the threat facing the kingdom of saudi arabia in order to preserve international peace and security. my delegation is fully prepared to work with you, to take further measures to put an end to such attacks which are undoubtedly linked to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. in the midst of the events, the

middle east region is witnessing, the state of kuwait is committed to support all u.n. resolutions and welcome the adoption of the security council resolution 2231 of 2015. while the islamic republic of iran continues to implement the provisions of that resolution, reports by the international we know omic agency -- the concern of the independent u.n. reports that indicates iran's continued support and financing of militias and armed roups in arab countries. we are concerned about iran's interference in yemen. and the resolution adopted by the league of arab states on e 11th of september, 2018,

yemeni territories has been formed into a launch pad targeting yemen's neighbors and threatening maritime navigation. which not only affects the security stability of yemen in the region but also constitutes a violation of security council resolution 2216 of 2015. the league of arab states resolution also calls on iran to seize those acts and all acts which adversely effects the security of the states in the region and undertakes confidence building measures for those in the region based on cooperation, mutual respect and noninterference in the internal affairs of states. r. president, excellencies, as i address you from this forum, i consider it a great honor to

speak as a representative of the arab state in the security council conveying the concerns and pre-occupations of our peace-loving peoples and their aspirations to security and stability. in this context, the state of kuwait and all other arab states reaffirm their absolute fate in multilateral action under the umbrella of the united nations, according to the objectives, principles and commitments agreed upon in the charter. we also emphasize the arab position on the importance of achieving the nonproliferation treaty which was extended indefinitely after the review onference adopted in 1995. t is important to document the zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the middle east. as we reiterate here, the arab

position calling upon the three sponsors of the 1995 middle east resolution to shoulder their responsibilities by implementing that resolution. as it was an integral part of the indefinite extension of the nonproliferation treaty, we also emphasized the need for israel to place all its nuclear facilities under the supervision and monitoring of international atomic energy agency. especially as it is the only country in the middle east that been part of the nonproliferation treaty. mr. president, in conclusion, the commitment you have shown o confront is not limited to our meeting today, it is also to be seen in the current diplomatic efforts to ease tension and achieve denuclearization of the korean

peninsula. by you, mr. made president, came within the context of achieving unity of the security council members to counter the illegal program, activities of the democratic people's republic of korea. that to achieve denuclear lakes of the korean peninsula, the road is still long -- denuclearization of the korean peninsula, the road is still long and hard. we know that the absolute and sincere commitment of all concerned parties as well as the full implementation of relevant security council resolutions will lead to a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement in the korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons. thank you, mr. president. president trump: i think the minister for his statement. thank you very much. i now give the floor to the

minister for foreign affairs of china. >> mr. president, maintaining global peace and security is the primary responsibility of the security council entrusted by the u.n. charter and a shared responsibility of security council members. given the complex challenges to international peace and security, how should the security council support this mission and play this role, it's a question that deserves serious consideration. china believes the following -- the security council should perform its function in a fair and just manner as mandated by the charter, the security council must uphold the purposes and principles of the u.n. charter and the universally recognized international law and norms governing the international relations. it should safeguard the role of the u.n. in international affairs and sovereignty,

independence, and legitimate interests of all countries. the security council should stick to political settlement as the basic direction. the security council should be the strongest advocate for resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation. it should effectively use all peacekeeping, r ace building, have the large goal of political -- all members must bear firmly in mind enhance unity and coordination, set aside geopolitical considerations and ensure effective functioning of the council and uphold the common interests of all u.n. members. the security council should strengthen overall planning and coordination to forge unity. it should coordinate and

cooperate with the general assembly, the secretary general and the u.n. development system so that the political pillar and development pillar can support each other and have lasting peace, sustainable development can be mutual. mr. president, the proliferation of w.m.d. and their means of delivery poses a real threat to global peace and security and is a challenge that we all face. china proposes that we step up efforts in the following three aspects. first, we need to champion the rule of law to consolidate and improve the international nonproliferation regime. the n.p.t., the biological weapons convention, the chemical weapons convention, the u.n. 1540 and other security council resolutions constitute legal foundation of the international nonproliferation regime. all of us should earnestly safeguard the universality, effectiveness and authority of the nonproliferation regime and

in particular prevent terrorists and other nonstate actors from getting hold of w.m.d. materials and technologies. second, we need to take multipronged measures to implement the nonproliferation treaty in a balanced manner. every country must honor its word, shoulder its responsibilities and fulfill international obligations. the nonproliferation treaty and agreements must be implemented in their entirety. no double standards, discriminatory arrangements or selective enforcement should be allowed. but we need to bolster international cooperation and enhance all countries' nonproliferation cablet kaipability. government -- capability. government bears the responsibility of nonproliferation. countries should be supportive in developing their nonproliferation policies in line with national conditions d encourage nonproliferation

-- carry out more exchanges and practical cooperation so that gether we could shore up universal security. mr. president, the jcpoa on the iranian nuclear issue is a achievement of multilateralism, conducive to international nuclear nonproliferation regime and peace and stability in the middle east. there's no international agreement that is perfect. the jpoa has been endorsed unanimously by the security council. what happens in the past three years shows that jcpoa is a viable agreement. china encourages iran to have all -- all countries to economic relations and trade with iran should be respected. china calls on the relevant parties to bear in mind the big picture, thing long term and uphold the sanctity, integrity

and efficacy of the jcpoa. since the beginning of the year, the situation on the korean peninsula has shown major progress. china welcomes that. china has made efforts for this to happen. china supports the important common understandings reached between the dprk and u.s. leaders at the singapore summit. support dpra and r.o.k. in improving their relations, we call upon all parties to seize the current opportunities, turn the political consensus into concrete actions and work in the direction of setting up a peace mechanism on the peninsula and he denuclearization on the peninsula to realize lasting peace on the peninsula at an early date. mr. president, china lives by its commitment to the purposes

and principles of the u.n. charter to upholding the u.n.-centered contemporary international system and has earnestly fulfilled its international responsibilities and obligations. e need to work together to uphold the efforts to realize peace and security for all. therefore, i conclude, i need to point out that china has followed the principle of noninterference in other countries' domestic affairs. this is a tradition of chinese policy. it has received acclaimed from international communities. we do not and will not interfere in any country's domestic affairs. we refuse to accept any unwarranted accusations against china. we call upon other countries to also observe the purposes of the u.n. charter and not to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. thank you. president trump: i thank the minister for his statement.

thank you. i now give the floor to the minister for foreign affairs of the russia federation. >> thank you very much, distinguished president. distinguished colleagues, in the world today, effectively combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is particularly important for maintaining global and regional stability for ensuring that we reliably provide for the security of all states without exception and constructive interaction here as an important element in order to create a positive international agenda. i think everyone will agree that the security council resolution providing for specific measures against those who violate the nonproliferation regime that this resolution has to be strictly abided by. the cornerstone here is a basic resolution 1540. it contains the obligations of member states to undertake specific measures in order to prevent situations where weapons of mass destruction,

its components end up in the hands of nonstate entities. of particular importance, also other security council decisions pursue -- pursuant to resolutions providing for sanctions for any kind of transfer of weapons to terrorists. there are transfers taking place and need to be closely investigated. as was the case 50 years ago when the n.p.t. was open for signature. our country is committed to ridding the world to the nuclear threat. at the same time we need to absolutely take into account all of the factors impacting strategic stability. in the course of negotiations, all countries will participate, all countries which have the nuclear weapons potential. the desire of our countries to ban nuclear weapons separately from the basic principles of n.p.t. cannot be successful and will only create ambiguity an hour future approaches to weapons of mass destruction nonproliferation. talking about n.p.t., i'd like

to mention resolution 2231 which you was approved by the security council and which is in the joint comprehensive plan of action on the iran nuclear program. the unilateral withdrawal of the united states from this, all the more so, since as this was underscored by many, tehran is strictly abiding i its commitment within jcpoa and this is something that the iaea is regularly confirming. we need to keep jcpoa and this is something we are actively working on together with iran, china and the e.u. otherwise, if we don't do that, we can end up with a situation where there is more tension in the middle east. this could lead to risk for international instability and for the nonproliferation regime. the dismantlement of the jcpoa will be counterproductive for the efforts under way now to denuclearize the korean peninsula. these efforts is something we welcome and support.

there are also serious obstacles to nonproliferation and i'm referring to the decision made by the united tates to postpone for a long time, perhaps forever, the ratification of the comprehensive test ban treaty and the absence of progress in implementing the n.p.t. decision to create a weapons of mass destruction-free zone in the middle east. there's also an alarming situation we're witnessing in the area of -- >> we have to leave our live coverage from the united nations, but you can continue to follow the u.n. security council meeting online at c-span.org. u.s. house about to gavel in to start legislative work. among today's measures, a two-bill spending package that covers several federal agencies and another re-authorizing the f.a.a. for five years. now live to the house floor here on c-span. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by dr. brad haplain, jurkovich, first bossier, bossier city, louisiana. the chaplain: we come before you aware we face tremendous challenges and tremendous opportunities as a nation. your word says, for the lord gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. as we prepare to debate and discuss and discern the right solutions for this great nation we ask you, god, to ge