23.1.2008

The Conference on Disarmament - the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations with 65 Member States of the UN as its members, including Sri Lanka - held the inaugural meeting of the year 2008 on Wednesday 23 January with the participation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon and the Foreign Minister of Tunisia, Mr. Abdelwaheb Abdallah.

The Permanent Representative of Tunisia, the President of the Conference, welcomed the Secretary-General and appreciated his personal deep commitment towards the work of the Conference.

Addressing the Conference, the Secretary-General said that the Conference had great potential to move forward this year. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia stated that his country was determined to exert all efforts to contribute to the successes of the activities of the Conference based on the spirit of constructive dialogue and consensus.

The Co-ordinators of all Groups in the Conference namely the Permanent Representatives of the Russian Federation (Eastern European Group), Italy (Western Group), Sri Lanka (Group of 21) and China also made statements in welcoming the Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister.

Following is the full text of the statement made by H E Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva on behalf of the Group of 21 (the NAM Group on the Conference on Disarmament):

"Hon. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon,

Hon. Abdelwaheb Abdallah, Foreign Minister of Tunisia,

Hon Secretary General of the Conference,

Hon. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs,

I have the honour to address you on behalf of the Group of 21, which as you know consists mainly of the countries of the developing world. Mr. President, those of us who had the privilege of working with you have absolute confidence that you will guide the affairs of this Conference with sagacity and commitment. We feel that we are in safe and just hands.

Hon. Secretary-General, your presence here is an expression of your deep personal commitment to this Conference and the themes and issues that animated and agitated us, namely those of disarmament and Non-proliferation. Your words have applied what I would call the spur of conscience to the flank of flagging procedure. On behalf of the Group of 21, I assure you Hon. Secretary-General of our collective commitment to these causes.

The Group of 21 is perhaps the least complicit and yet most vulnerable in the issue of nuclear weapons build-up. You reminded us of the nexus between disarmament and development, as did Hon. Abdallah, the Foreign Minister of Tunisia.

We the Group of 21 stands to gain most from progress in these areas. Our peoples stand to gain most because they are the most vulnerable on the planet. So you may rest assured that we shall co-operate fully with all efforts that are made to achieve progress on the basis of seeking a mutuality of interests and on the basis of seeking to understand the concerns of all.

I was particularly struck by the approach implicit in the words of the Hon. Foreign Minister of Tunisia. All of us who greatly respect the deep civilizational roots and heritages of Tunisia would not be surprised by the wisdom contained in what he said. But if I may draw attention to a chord that he repeatedly struck, and that is the need for consensus.

I think the words of the Hon. Secretary-General and those of the Foreign Minister provide the two pillars on which our work could rest. On one hand, the urgency of the imperative, the need for maintenance of a pace of progress, and on the other, the need - no less important - for consultation, compromise, constructive dialogue and consensus. And I am sure that under the very able presidency of Tunisia it is upon these two pillars that our work shall rest during this year.

Thank you very much."

Courtesy - Sri Lanka Defence