STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) BY MALAYSIA, AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 3^RD MEETING OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE 2026 REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE TREATY ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

28 APRIL, 3:00 PM 

 

Thank you, Mr. Chair,

 

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN associates itself with the statement made by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

 

2. ASEAN warmly congratulates you, Mr. Chair, on being elected as Chairperson of the 3rd Session of the NPT Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference. We assure your team of our support in advancing the important work of this Committee. We also wish to recognize the Under-Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs for their tireless and consistent efforts in advancing the nuclear disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy agenda at the United Nations.

 

3. ASEAN remains committed to achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world. We firmly believe that strengthening multilateralism and cooperation is key to advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, with all countries, especially Nuclear-Weapon States (NWS), fulfilling their obligations and commitments under the relevant mechanisms responsibly.

 

4. Additionally, we call on all countries, especially NWS, to promote mutual understanding, enhance cooperation in good faith, and ensure responsible and collective actions to realize a world without nuclear weapons.
5. As we approach the final Preparatory Committee meeting before the 2026 Review Conference, ASEAN remains concerned about the challenging geopolitical landscape marked by heightened tensions, modernization of nuclear arsenals, an accelerating arms race, and ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world. We also remain concerned about the dire consequences of any use of nuclear weapons on human life, particularly long-term and generational health effects, the environment and sustainable development, and international peace and security.

 

6.  ASEAN reaffirms its recognition that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as the peaceful use of nuclear energy. While welcoming the convening of the 10th NPT Review Conference, we regret that it concluded without a consensus outcome document that could have provided much-needed additional momentum towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

 

 

7. ASEAN continues to call on all States Parties to the NPT to renew their commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Treaty, particularly Article VI, to redouble efforts to protect the credibility and integrity of the NPT and to rally towards a much-desired meaningful consensual outcome document at the 11th NPT Review Conference in 2026.

 

8. ASEAN calls on the NWS to fulfill their obligations in advancing nuclear disarmament in accordance with Article VI of the NPT and to recognize the need to completely eliminate nuclear weapons, which remains the only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons are never used again under any circumstances. NWS must fulfill all of their nuclear disarmament obligations and we emphasize the need for them to demonstrate transparency and accountability through benchmarks, and concrete, measurable, timebound actions on nuclear disarmament with established deadlines, and to report the implementation of their obligations until the goal of total elimination of nuclear weapons is achieved, in a structured manner that allows Non-Nuclear Weapons States (NNWS) to engage constructively on their reports

 

9. ASEAN stresses that it is necessary for the NWS to provide unconditional, legally binding negative security assurances and adopt a no-first-use policy regarding nuclear weapons, as well as to reduce and eliminate the risk of unintentional and accidental use of such weapons, pending the total and complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Additionally, the NWS must make an unequivocal commitment not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against Non-Nuclear Weapon States and within nuclear-weapon-free zones.

 

10. ASEAN also reaffirms its collective position against nuclear tests and reiterates the importance of achieving universal adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) without delay. All ASEAN Member States have ratified the CTBT, reflecting our strong commitment to the international norm against nuclear testing. We continue to call upon the remaining States listed in Annex 2 of the CTBT, to sign and ratify the CTBT as soon as possible for its entry into force.

 

11. We support every effort to create and enhance the role of nuclear-weapon-free zones and their contribution to the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime, including in the Middle East. We are committed to preserving the Southeast Asian region as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) or the Bangkok Treaty. We stress the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Treaty, including through its Plan of Action for 2023 – 2027. We noted that the Executive Committee of the SEANWFZ Commission is continuing to explore the possibility of allowing individual NWS which are willing to sign and ratify the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty without reservations and provide prior formal assurance of this commitment in writing to go ahead with the signing. We welcome any NWS that are ready to do so. We reaffirm our commitment to continuously engage all the NWS, including those with reservations, and intensify efforts of all parties to resolve all outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the SEANWFZ Treaty.

 

12. Furthermore, we maintain that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is a historic agreement which contributes towards global nuclear disarmament and complements other existing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation instruments. We acknowledge the convening of the 3rd Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW held last month, as well as ASEAN Member States' role in advancing the intersessional work.
13. We are pleased to inform that the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and its 27 members continue to engage in dialogue and exchange of views on disarmament and non-proliferation issues through the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ISM on NPD). The 16^th ARF ISM on NPD was successfully held in the Philippines in March 2025.

 

14. We reaffirm the inalienable right of States to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, in particular for their economic and social development. In this regard, the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM), which convened its 11^th Annual Meeting in August 2024, continues its efforts to enhance cooperation among the nuclear regulatory bodies and further strengthen nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in the region. We are pleased to share that ASEAN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have renewed their Practical Arrangements on Cooperation in the Areas of Nuclear Science and Technology and Applications, Nuclear Safety, Security, and Safeguards for 2024 - 2029. We highlight the leading role played by ASEAN Member States in developing, utilizing, and scaling up the peaceful applications of atomic energy in agriculture, health, food safety and security, education, and the environment.

 

15. ASEAN acknowledges the outcomes of the 2024 Summit of the Future, particularly the Pact for the Future, which reaffirms our collective commitment to upholding disarmament obligations and strengthening international norms. We support the full and effective implementation of other relevant efforts, including Security Council Resolution 1540 and the United Nations Secretary General's Agenda for Disarmament to advance nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in a concrete, holistic, and integrated manner. We also recall the Secretary General's New Agenda for Peace, which emphasizes the urgency of the elimination of nuclear weapons.

 

16. In closing, ASEAN reaffirms its commitment to global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and calls for enhanced international collaboration towards a world free of nuclear weapons. Through multilateralism and respect for international law, ASEAN strives to promote a safer, and more peaceful global order.

 

Thank you, Mr. Chair.