The UN Disarmament Commission’s annual session on nuclear weapons and outer space opens on Tuesday in New York. – VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Minister Counselor Lê Thị Minh Thoa, deputy permanent representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations (UN), has emphasised the need to support all the three pillars of the nuclear issue, namely disarmament, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Addressing the UN Disarmament Commission’s annual session on nuclear weapons and outer space opened on Tuesday local time in New York, Thoa called on countries to fully implement the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

She said it is necessary to uphold further the principles of disarmament that were agreed upon at the UN General Assembly’s first special session on disarmament - an important foundation for the goal of complete and thorough disarmament.

As a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors, Việt Nam is actively promoting the application of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and ensuring nuclear safety and security, Thoa said.

Việt Nam will co-host a workshop of the ASEAN Regional Forum on this field in Hà Nội in late April, she added.

Regarding the use of outer space, Thoa stressed that access to outer space is an inalienable right of all countries in the world, regardless of their development level.

The exploration and use of outer space must serve peaceful purposes and the benefit of humanity, following basic principles of international law and the UN Charter.

Speaking at the session, which will last until April 21, UN Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu voiced concern over the increasing nuclear risks not seen since the Cold War, as well as the growing serious challenges to the safety and security of activities beyond the outer space.

She called for an easing in escalating tensions and the promotion of dialogue and urged countries to actively discuss and provide specific recommendations and solutions to these issues. – VNS