Statement by Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang, Permanent Representative of the Gabonese Republic to the UN, at a UN Security Council Briefing on Non-Proliferation

July 06, 2023

Madam President,

1. I would like to thank the Deputy Secretary General, Rosemary Di Carlo, and the Head of the European Union Delegation, Olof Skoog, for their presentations on the implementation of resolution 2231.
2. I would also like to thank Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of Malta, for her role in facilitating the implementation of the resolution.

Dear Colleagues,

3. The Secretary-General’s fifteenth report on the status of implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under resolution 2231 reinforces our conviction that the JCPOA is the best diplomatic option available to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.
4. The lack of progress on a return to full and effective implementation of the JCPOA as well as resolution 2231 (2015) remains a concern for the international disarmament architecture and in particular for nuclear non-proliferation.
5. The worrying developments mentioned in the report and corroborated by the IAEA call to mind the need to ensure international peace and security, and to guard against any nuclear escalation. This is an overriding objective for this Council.

Dear Colleagues,

6. The PAGC represents a significant step forward in our shared determination to make the world safer and nuclear-weapon-free. The Council must do more to preserve this achievement, to avoid any backsliding, which would only increase uncertainty about the security of us all.
7. We therefore call on all parties to return to the negotiating table, and to engage in good faith, emphasizing dialogue and cooperation, with a view to a return to the full implementation of resolution 2231 in order to achieve nuclear non-proliferation objectives and guarantee lasting peace in the region and the world.
8. It’s important for both parties to show commitment and flexibility.
9. We welcome the visit of Director General Rafael Grossi last March, as well as the joint declaration between the IAEA and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which are encouraging signals on the road to appeasement and dialogue.
10. We also echo the Secretary General’s encouragement that the participants in the plan and the United States remain committed to finding a diplomatic solution.

Dear Colleagues,

11. It is important to restore trust between the parties and refrain from politicizing the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015).
12. The rapprochement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia and the indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Oman in mid-June are signals in the right direction.
13. In conclusion, I reaffirm my country’s commitment to the multilateral nuclear non-proliferation regime, with the NPT as its central pillar, while reiterating our wish to see the implementation of the agreement return to a positive dynamic for all parties.

Thank you very much