Rabat – Omar Hilale, Morocco’s permanent ambassador to the UN, began his position as the president of the first UN Commission in charge of disarmament and international security.
On Monday, October 4, the ambassador called on the international community to safeguard the “pillars of the disarmament and nonproliferation regime currently in force, such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (TICEN).”
Hillae emphasized that such pillars have ensured and contributed to “our collective safety and security, for more than half and a quarter of a century, respectively.”
Hilale made his remarks during the opening session of the General Debate of the Commission.
The ambassador also expressed regret that the 10th NPT Review Conference has yet to take place.
Additionally, Hilale also regretted that TICEN had not been implemented to date.
The Moroccan ambassador emphasized the need to redouble efforts with the international community regarding cooperation, dialogue and diplomacy to “make multilateralism triumph again.”
The diplomat also emphasized the need to prevent conflicts and crises.
“This is no longer an option. Alongside the 50th anniversary of the NPT and the 25th anniversary of the TICEN, the recent entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TIAN) is proof that the international community can make a difference-historic moreover,” the ambassador said.
Hilale was elected to the first committee of the UN General Assembly in June.
With the election, it was Morocco’s first time to hold the presidency of the committee in charge of disarmament and international security.
Following the election, the Moroccan ambassador said that the UN’s choice to elect Morocco “comes in a difficult international context marked by the deterioration of international security, the exacerbation of the terrorist threat and by the unprecedented upsurge challenges.”
Hilale also conveyed Morocco’s commitment to the objectives of disarmament, non-proliferation, and to the accomplishment of a “world free of nuclear weapons.”
