Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has emphasized the urgent need for global efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons and ensure a safer world.
“No one is safe as long as nuclear weapons exist,” the foreign minister told a high-level plenary meeting of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in New York, US, on Tuesday.
“The death and destruction they cause cut across borders, across generations. The total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against this menace.”
He also reiterated Bangladesh's firm belief in the total elimination of nuclear weapons and its commitment to the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
Momen welcomed the first state parties' meeting on the TPNW, its declaration and a 50-point action plan, emphasizing the importance of full implementation by all nations, including nuclear-weapon states and “nuclear umbrella states.”
He highlighted the risks of nuclear weapons use, whether by intent or accident. “There are no right hands to handle these wrong weapons,” he said.
The foreign minister called upon nuclear-weapon states to take stringent measures to avoid the risk of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists or other unauthorized actors.
In addition, Momen called for increased investment in research of nuclear technology and exploration of the potential of peaceful use of nuclear energy for the benefit of humankind. He also urged the world to stop investing in nuclear weapons proliferation and instead redirect these resources to preventing climate change, promoting sustainable development, and ensuring peace and stability.
The minister also urged a global culture of peace, renewed efforts towards a nuclear weapons-free world and the resumption of disarmament negotiations.