30 June 2022
Thank you, Mr. President.
I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Ambassador Skoog for their presentations, as well as Ambassador Byrne Nason for her report in her capacity as facilitator of the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015). I welcome the presence of the representatives of Iran and Germany.
Since the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Mexico has supported it as a successful example of multilateral diplomacy and a key component of the international non-proliferation architecture.
The agreement represented a major shift in the way the Security Council would address the issue of the Iranian nuclear program, moving away from a sanctions regime and confrontation, to a more collaborative approach.
Pending the full return of JCPOA participants, the activities referred in the reports of the Secretary General and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in particular of the 60% enrichment of uranium- 235, as well as the research on more advanced issues such as metallurgy and centrifuge modernization, beyond the limits agreed in the JCPOA, are concerning.
Transparency and cooperation are crucial elements for the proper functioning of JCPOA.
It is important to clarify any possible action by Iran that exceeds the agreements reached in the JCPOA, and to this end it is necessary to restore the IAEA’s access to evaluate and verify the status of the nuclear program.
At the same time, we urge the United States to lift the unilateral sanctions against Iran, especially those that apply extraterritorially or to third states. If this were achieved, there would be significant progress.
We understand the positions of those who consider it a priority to address the broader security dynamics in the region, including the launching of missiles and the transfer of weapons and its components. We therefore believe that it would be more opportune to pursue separate agreements, which do not limit the full implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) or the prospect of a return to the JCPOA.
Beyond reciprocal accusations about missiles and space technologies, the fact is that the launches and the responses they generate are moving us further and further away from an atmosphere of trust that is currently necessary.
We look forward to the indirect negotiations in Doha. We appreciate the efforts of Qatar and, of course, of the European Union to bring the positions of the United States and Iran closer. Mexico believes that the Security Council should support this dialogue, with a view to concluding the negotiations in Vienna.
The return to full compliance with resolution 2231 (2015) is in the interest of the entire international community, as it is essential to ensure the peaceful development of Iran’s nuclear program while promoting stability in the Middle East.
We therefore urge the settlement of differences that would allow for an early resumption, without preconditions, of compliance with the provisions of the JCPOA.
I conclude by reaffirming that Mexico is committed to achieving and sustaining a world free of nuclear weapons, through compliance with the commitments and obligations of the various legal instruments at our disposal, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
My country pursues the strengthening and preservation of the non- proliferation and nuclear disarmament regime, established by the NPT, and therefore consistently defends the right of all countries to benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. But it is clear that this right comes paired with the obligation to comply with the commitments set out in the NPT, including full cooperation with the IAEA.
Thank you, President.