(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar has reaffirmed the importance of international co-operation to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Qatar stressed that the specificity of the region marked by unrest and conflicts along with the presence of weapons of mass destruction and terrorist groups add a new and dangerous dimension which lies in the use of these weapons by terrorist groups.
In a statement delivered before the United Nations First Committee on weapons of mass destruction, Hamad Tami al-Hajri, member of Qatar's delegation to the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said: "The State of Qatar is keen to contribute in every effort which helps remove the spectre of the use or the threat of weapons of mass destruction, and thus contributing to reducing tension in the region and promoting peace and security."
He said that Qatar's position stemmed from its belief that the concept of strategic balance could not be achieved in the existence of these weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, but rather depended on the success of countries in devoting their capacity for the development and prosperity of their people.
"Therefore sustainable peace and stability in the world cannot be achieved under the possession of weapons of mass destruction and the arms race posing a growing threat facing the humanity," he said, pointed out that these prohibited weapons had been used and were still used today in some of the conflicts.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) ratified or acceded to by the overwhelming majority of countries in the world catalysing a large-scale international commitment was considered as a symbol of respect for International Law, and specifically the law of war, Al Hajri went on saying.
The signing of the CWC was the culmination of decades of legal and diplomatic efforts which condemns the use of chemical weapons, al-Hajri said, adding that the use and even the possession of such weapons had become an international taboo.
He wondered how some regimes deployed prohibited weapons against their own people, killing innocent civilians, noting that thousands of civilians, including children and women in Syria, had paid the price of indiscriminate use of chemical weapons.
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