And I now get the floor first of all madam isn't mean I can eat soup thank

---

and I now get the floor first of all -
madam isn't mean I can eat soup thank
you very much mr. president His
Excellency mr. hey Commerce Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Germany His
Excellency mr. Stavros Laughlin
president designate of the NPT review
conference excellencies distinguished
delegates ladies and gentlemen I would
like to congratulate the Belgian
presidency for convening this session
and building on last year's initiative
by Germany the council's continued
attention to nuclear weapons and to the
treaty on the non-proliferation of
nuclear weapons or NPT in particular are
testament to the role of both in
international peace and security it is
entirely fitting that this body consider
the achievements and the future of the
NPT after all the NPT is a pillar of
international peace and security
few multilateral treaties let alone
security treaties he may claim to the
record of success that the NPT can for
50 years now it has provided collective
security benefits to all its states
parties it remains an enduring example
of the value of disarmament arms control

---

and non-proliferation measures as
supporting pillars of international
peace and security
no matter the climate of the day the
treaty continues to successively
constrain the proliferation of nuclear
weapons through a verifiable safeguard
system that is almost universally
subscribed to we should not forget that
at the time of the NPT x' negotiation it
was estimated that by 1975 there could
be some 20 nuclear arms
this success of the MPT should not be
taken for granted in addition to the
Nene binding disarmament commitments
under Article 6 of the treaty the NPT
has also functioned as a de-facto
negotiating forum for nuclear
disarmament it has produced important
confidence-building and transparency
measures including an unequivocal
undertaken to accomplish the total
elimination of nuclear arsenals needing
to nuclear disarmament the 2020 NPT
review conference marking both the 50th
anniversary of the treaty's entry into
force and the 25th anniversary of its
indefinite extension presents both a

---

symbolic and practical opportunity it is
the perfect occasion to celebrate the
NPT s many achievements and the role
that it has played in making the world a
safer place it is also an opportunity to
ensure the treaty remains the linchpin
of disarmament and non-proliferation
regime and continues to enhance all
states parties security came here to
secure a successful outcome in 2020 will
not doom the treaty or the
non-proliferation regime it will however
serve to undermine the value so many UN
member states plays on it and in turn
devalue the review cycle as a way to not
only strengthen the implementation of
the NPT but the regime as a whole it
could further entrench the device within
the treaty with long term ramifications
consequently I continue to encourage all