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8143rd Security Council Meeting: Non-Proliferation
The head of United Nations political affairs urged the Security Council today to maintain strong support for the agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, asking its signatories to work out their respective concerns, as it remained vital for international stability.
“The agreement is in the interest of the global non‑proliferation regime and of regional and global security”, Jeffrey Feltman, Under‑Secretary‑General for Political Affairs, said in a briefing on the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015), which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme. Also briefing this afternoon were Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, the Council facilitator for Committee established pursuant to that resolution, and Joanne Adamson of the European Union delegation, who spoke on the work of the agreement’s Joint Commission.
Mr. Feltman introduced the Secretary‑General’s latest report on the topic (document S/2017/1030), which affirmed “diplomatic achievement, compliance and robust verification” under the plan, but said that the recent decision of the President of the United States not to certify the agreement had “regrettably created considerable uncertainty regarding the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”.
As a national executive action, the United States move did not, at present, affect the validity of the agreement, however, according to the report. “I am reassured that the United States has expressed its commitment to stay in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for now,” the Secretary‑General stated in the report.
On Iran’s compliance, Mr. Feltman noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had reported nine times that Iran was continuing to adhere to its nuclear‑related commitments. In addition, there were again no reports of supply, sale or transfer to Iran of nuclear‑related items undertaken contrary to the resolution’s provisions.
However, he went on to say signatories and other Member States had provided information on the launch by Iran of several ballistic missiles as well as the Simorgh space launch vehicle in July 2017. In addition, the Secretariat was still analysing material from ballistic missiles launched at Saudi Arabia, reportedly from Yemen, for determination of Iranian involvement.
The Secretariat had also found evidence that certain weapons brought to its attention, including a shipment of assault rifles and grenade launchers, had shown signs of Iranian origin. In addition, the report requested the Security Council to call upon the Governments of relevant Member States to take the necessary steps to ensure implementation of the travel ban and other provisions of the annex.
Mr. Cardi, reporting on the activities of the Sanctions Committee, described an 8 September meeting in which the launch of the Simorgh space vehicle was discussed, with some Council members calling it inconsistent with resolution 2231 (2015), while others contended that it could not be modified to deliver nuclear weapons. He also reported on communications from three Member States alleging weapons transfers from Iran, which resulted in communications with that country.
Ms. Adamson, reporting on civil nuclear cooperation, said that Iran had made steps towards its accession to the international nuclear regulatory framework and must be further encouraged. The procurement working group was fully operational and the number of States interested in transfers to Iran had increased, she added, but stressed that the proper functioning of the procurement channel needed to be ensured. Commenting that the use of ballistic missiles and developments in the region had cast a shadow on the agreement, she called upon all parties to remain committed to the Joint Plan of Action in good faith and build on that achievement of multilateral diplomacy.
Following those briefings, most Member States urged all signatories to continue their commitment to the Joint Plan of Action, calling it an important instrument for nuclear non‑proliferation, and welcoming IAEA findings. Some expressed concern over possible violations of annex B of resolution 2231 (2015), worrying that any use of ballistic missiles could inflame tensions in the region and calling on Iran to act with caution in that regard.
While agreeing that Iran’s ballistic launches were of growing concern, the representative of France, along with others, urged all parties to the agreement to abide by it, stressing that respecting commitments was a cardinal element of international relations. He stressed that the decision by the United States had created an alarming uncertainty, as mentioned in the Secretary‑General’s report.
The representative of the United States said the Council must follow through on Iranian violations listed in that report, noting that just today there had been reports of Houthis in Yemen firing another missile into Saudi Arabia. That attack was a “red siren” for the Council. She maintained that the Secretary‑General’s fourth report was the most damning yet, as it made the case that Iran was transferring weapons. Iran’s destabilizing behaviour would only grow unless the cost of defying the international community was raised, she argued.
The representative of the Russian Federation, on the other hand, maintained that the Secretary‑General’s report was clear in relaying Iran’s compliance with the Joint Plan of Action. He expressed regret that there had been an attempt to undermine that breakthrough. Emphasizing that the Secretariat should not be conducting investigations outside its area of expertise, he said that overall, the international community needed to abandon the language of threats and sanctions and instead focus on dialogue and fostering mutual trust.
Also delivering statements were representatives of Egypt, Uruguay, Sweden, Ethiopia, China, Bolivia, Senegal, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan and Germany.
The meeting began at 3:08 p.m. and ended at 5:03 p.m.
