Towards a world free of nuclear weapons

The Summit is a historic meeting dedicated to preventing nuclear terrorism and strengthening global nuclear security. Its proceedings and outcome deserve to be well known on all continents, as it deals with vital global issues.

From the perspective of this significant event of multilateral diplomacy it is appropriate to remind of an encouraging fact. All 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) are party to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty). Signed in Bangkok on December 15, 1995, this regional legal instrument is in force and has to be treated with maximum attention. The Asean Charter specifically stipulates that one of the purposes of Asean is to preserve Southeast Asia as a nuclear weapon-free zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction.

In a special resolution about the Bangkok Treaty adopted by consensus on December 2, 2011, the UN General Assembly reaffirmed its conviction of the important role of nuclear-weapon-free zones, established, where appropriate, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among states of the region concerned in strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, in contributing towards realising the objectives of nuclear disarmament and in extending the areas of the world that are free of nuclear weapons.

The Bangkok Treaty recommends itself as a meaningful source of inspiration for other areas of our planet. 

Ioan Voicu

Bangkok