STATEMENT BY MALAYSIA
THIRD SESSION OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE
2026 NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE
SPECIFIC ISSUE 1:
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY ASSURANCES
NEW YORK, 2 MAY 2025
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Mr. Chair,
- Malaysia aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the NAM States Parties.
- Over the course of the General Debate and Cluster 1 discussions, many Non-Nuclear-Weapon States (NNWS) have reiterated the urgency of the pursuit of nuclear disarmament without preconditions or delay, in the interest of peace, security and sustainable development for all. Deeply disconcerting trends have been noted - inter alia, the unceasing modernisation of nuclear weapons, with signs of a resurgent arms race, amidst a prevailing trust deficit in the NPT and multilateral fora more broadly.
- In this context, the provision of negative security assurances by the Nuclear-Weapon States (NWS) to NNWS is a matter of critical importance. It must be recognised, however, that only the total elimination of nuclear weapons will effectively guard against the horrendous consequences of their use or testing, as well as associated threats. Indeed, as many have highlighted, it is precisely the immense destructive capacity of nuclear weapons which furnishes their purported utility in the deterrence doctrines of States which possess them. The inherent, existential threat of nuclear weapons to the security of all States - including those which have undertaken never to pursue or rely upon these abhorrent instruments of war and destruction - cannot be glossed over. Ever more sophisticated arguments put forward by advocates of nuclear deterrence will not blind us to the stark realities at hand, whether in security, ethical or moral terms. Negative security assurances must therefore be seen in proper context, not as an end in themselves, but rather as a means of mitigating the unacceptable risks presented by nuclear weapons.
- The global community should redouble efforts to strengthen nuclear-weapon-free zones and establish new ones in regions where they do not yet exist, including in the Middle East. The protocols to the treaties establishing such zones play a critical role in enabling their States Parties to receive legally binding assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons from the NWS. With regard to our own region, Malaysia looks forward to sustained engagement with all NWS, including those with reservations, and to intensifying the efforts of all parties to resolve all outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty.
- The indefinite extension of the NPT should not be interpreted as legitimation by the global non-nuclear majority of the NWS’ right to perpetuate the existence of nuclear weapons, let alone the increasing salience of these weapons in military and security concepts, doctrines and policies. Concrete measures to provide and strengthen negative security assurances would be a means of demonstrating the commitment of the NWS to advancing the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world in good faith, in line with their Article VI obligations and related commitments. This is essential in preventing the erosion of existing international norms on disarmament and non-proliferation, and in upholding the “grand bargain” on which the NPT is premised.
Thank you.