Nuclear weapons threat to mankind Nigeria
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nigeria stressed that the universalisation of the non- proliferation treaty npt was dependent upon strict compliance with its three pillars disarmament non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy1 aside the cost of maintenance and modernisation of nuclear weapons nigeria has warned that they also remained a threat to all mankind1 the cost of maintenance and modernisation of these weapons are both outrageous and inexcusable when compared to resources allocated by states for more useful and productive ventures1 these more useful and productive ventures could further the growth development prosperity and other peaceful and positive articulation of human endeavours nigeria said1 nigeria highlighted the 1996 advisory opinion of the international court of justice icj which affirmed that the threat or use of nuclear weapons constituted a crime against humanity1 the country added that the icjs opinion also affirmed that the threat or use of nuclear weapons constituted a violation of international law including international humanitarian law1 nigeria reiterated its view about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that could result from either a deliberate use andor unintentional explosion of nuclear weapons1 it said these consequences should serve as a compelling reason for all states to address the question of the continued possession of nuclear weapons1 nuclear weapons still remain the ultimate agents of mass destruction and their total elimination should be the final objective of all disarmament processes within the broad spectrum of goals being pursued by the united nations1 to this end my delegation heartily welcomes the adoption of the landmark treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons which opened for signature on 20 september 20171 my delegation remains proud to have participated actively in the processes leading to its adoption as well as being one of the first countries to sign the treaty1 our commitment was guided by nigerias principled position on the denuclearization of the world1 nigeria stated this in its statement to the general debate of the 2018 substantive session of the un disarmament commission by faisal ibrahim first secretary permanent mission of nigeria to the un1 as a state party to the treaty of pelindaba nigeria welcomes the establishment of nuclear weapon free zones nwfz in parts of the world1 the treaty serves as a shield for the continent of africa including preventing the stationing of nuclear explosive devices on the continent and prohibiting testing of nuclear weapons1 nigeria noted that the nwfz serves as a measure to ensure a world free from the fear or possibility of the use of nuclear weapons1 it therefore called on all member states to support efforts to replicate it in the remaining parts of the world including in the middle east1 nigeria stressed the need for peaceful uses of outer space particularly preventing the weaponisation of the outer space to preserve peace and security to the benefit of all mankind1 in this regard we strongly support the negotiation of a treaty preventing an arms race in outer space and for interim transparency and confidence-building measures toward that end1 nigeria remains committed to using its space science capabilities for developmental purposes and to that end we have embarked on several developmental projects1 some of which include desertification sensitivity index population dissymmetric analysis and carbon emission assessment among others1 nigeria firmly believes that space technology has the immense potential to benefit both developed and developing countries1 and in this regard the un needs to promote equal and non-discriminatory access to outer space irrespective of levels of social economic or scientific development1 nigeria wishes to highlight the efforts of un regional centres for peace and disarmament in terms of their contributions to disarmament measures and other future challenges1 it noted the valuable input of the centre in africa particularly in its efforts to ensure the provision of a robust programme on capacity-building and in extending technical assistance to many states on the continent. nan1