Mr. Amieyeofori
Minister/Political Coordinator
Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations
New York, NY
23rd June, 2011
As Delivered
I join others in thanking Ambassador Néstor Osorio for his succinct briefing on the activities of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). We appreciate the valuable work done by the Committee during the reporting period. In particular, we note the efforts made to raise awareness of the obligations of Member States pursuant to Security Council resolutions on Iran. We assure the Committee of our strong support for its activities in furtherance of its mandate.
Nigeria appreciates the role and valuable contributions of the Panel of Experts to the work of the Committee. In this connection, we welcome its outreach activities as well as the final report on its work. It is essential that the Panel’s report be published, to keep the wider United Nations membership informed of the activities of the Committee.
Nigeria reiterates its commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We regard the NPT as the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime. Given that no country is immune to the dangers posed by nuclear weapons to our common security, it is essential that we all remain committed to the globally agreed ideals contained in the NPT and other relevant instruments.
We recognize the right of any party to pursue a peaceful nuclear programme. This must be pursued, however, within the ambit of the NPT and other relevant international instruments. We are therefore concerned about the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which indicates that Iran has continued its nuclear enrichment programme and has not fully implemented its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, including the additional protocols. These actions are unhelpful, as they continue to fuel doubts about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities. Iran has an important obligation to dispel those doubts. It can build trust and restore the confidence of the international community in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme by responding positively to all the calls made on the country by the Council and by the IAEA Board of Governors. It should further commit to the early resumption of dialogue with the five permanent members (P5) of the Council and meaningfully participate in the talks.
Nigeria remains convinced of the importance of political and diplomatic efforts in finding a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. Notwithstanding the misgivings of the past meetings between the P5+1 and Iran, we hold the view that further impetus should be given to the political settlement of the dispute.