Nuclear weapons

The State of Kuwait has reiterated its firm stance on the issues of disarmament
and international security and to work on eliminating weapons of mass
destruction.
This came in Kuwait speech delivered to the meeting of the First Committee on
Disarmament and International Security of the 72nd session of the United
Nations General Assembly, by adviser of Kuwait's permanent delegation to the
United Nations, Talal Al-Fassam on Tuesday evening.
Al-Fassam said, "We must remember the experiences we have had together
and perhaps find the right way to achieve our common goals of freeing the
world from nuclear weapons." Kuwait renews its invitation to the three sponsors
of the Middle East Resolution issued by the 1995 Review Conference, which is
an integral part of the indefinite extension of the Treaty to assume their
responsibilities in implementing that resolution, he added.
He pointed out that the three nations are aware of the strenuous efforts made
by the State of Kuwait and the Arab countries and the many concessions they
have made over the past seven years in order to hold the postponed Helsinki
Conference.
Kuwait is now looking forward to a pivotal role for the three sponsoring countries
by taking the initiative to find the appropriate way to establish a nuclear-
weapon-free zone in the Middle East based on the 1995, 2000 and 2010
Review Conferences.
He explained that more than 22 years have passed since the indefinite
extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995. Since that year, the State of
Kuwait has joined along with Arab States 13 meetings of the Preparatory
Committees for the Review Conference, three NPT Review Conferences and 22
conferences of the First Committee on disarmament and international security.
"After all these efforts, we are still considering the implementation of what was
agreed upon in 1995 for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the
Middle East. In 2010, we were very close to achieving specific steps towards
implementing what our peoples aspired to when the Action Plan at the Review
Conference was adopted," he said.
He said the plan called for convening a conference to establish a nuclear-
weapon-free zone in the Middle East. Unfortunately, all these faultered when
Israel hampered convention of the conference.
Al-Fassam expressed concern over Israel's continued refusal to accede to the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or even sign the Comprehensive
Safeguards Agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to
avoid unveiling the number of its nuclear facilities or even allowing the IAEA's
inspectors to carry out their mission.

 • Argue that the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons has become the
dominant theme in the international nuclear weapons debate in recent
years, but that there is an urgent need for states to follow up on this
initiative if it is going to lead to real and sustainable change in the field of
nuclear disarmament.
• Kuwait has previously associated themselves with the humanitarian
initiative (see right for details). Thank them for this and ask what they
intend to do during the NPT RevCon to continue to raise awareness of
the humanitarian and environmental effects of nuclear weapons.
• Ask whether they intend to express their support for the Pledge to Fill
the Legal Gap in their statement at the RevCon.

This document contains country specific information from the 2013 Don’t Bank on the Bomb
report. It identifies which financial institutions have significant financing relationships with one
or more of the 27 nuclear weapons producers. There is also a brief summary of the nuclear
weapons related work of each of the identified producers. This paper provides details about the
nature and value of specific transactions and holdings of the financial institutions.

The financial institutions identified include banks, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds,
insurance companies and asset managers. They have provided various types of financial
services to nuclear weapon companies. The most important are loans, investment banking and
asset management.

All sources of financing provided since 1 January 2010 to the companies listed were analysed
from annual reports, financial databases and other sources. The financial institutions which are
most significantly involved in the financing of one or more nuclear weapon companies are
shown here. See the full report for both a summary and full description of all financial
institutions which are found to have the most significant financing relationships with one or
more of the 27 selected nuclear weapon companies, by means of participating in bank loans, by
underwriting share or bond issues and/or by share- or bondholdings (above a threshold of 0.5%
of all outstanding shares

The State of Kuwait reiterates its belief in the importance of the United Nations and its
noble message that seeks to maintain international peace and security, despite the
multiple and accelerating challenges and difficulties. These are represented by the
impending dangers to our world posed by the nuclear weapons, and other weapons of
mass destruction. Their proliferation and possession is considered an indicator of a
real danger that, not only can impact regional and international peace and stability,
but also the existence of the human race.

Consistent with that, the State of Kuwait has signed and ratified international
conventions and agreements, such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (biological) and Toxin
Weapons (BWC), in addition to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT),
as well as the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the
Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, and its Additional Protocol. As we emphasize
the importance of these conventions and agreements on limiting the dangers of those
weapons, and in particular the NPT, which is considered the pillar of the multilateral
work for disarmament and international security. We also emphasize the need to deal
in a balanced manner with the three components of the Treaty, particularly, the one
pertaining to the inalienable right of all states to conduct research and studies, as well
as possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, consistent with the safeguards
system of the International

Agency for Atomic Energy.

I•

As a state that does not manufacture arms of any kind or form. The State of Kuwait
has purposely acceded to those conventions and agreements. out of its belief that
power lies in human resources, and in the survival of man, not his extinction, as well
as to achieve a world free of weapons, particularly. weapons of mass destruction,
foremost among which are the nuclear weapons, in order to direct the financial
resources towards economic, social, humanitarian and political development.

The Middle East region suffers from chronic challenges, that contributed to blurring
the view of its future. A future that relies on development as well as regional and
international cooperation. Let alone, the congested political and economic conditions
there, due to the prevailing environment of distrust, represented in Israel's possession
of weapons of mass destruction, and its defiance of the resolutions of international
legitimacy to accede to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as well as the obligations
to subject all its facilities to the safeguards system of the IAEA.

In this regard, the State of Kuwait welcomes the preliminary steps aiming at
convening the 2012 Conference in Helsinki, to establish a zone free of nuclear
weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, in
implementation of the resolution of the 2010 Review Conference of the NPT. We are
hopeful that the international community will lend its support to the efforts that aim
to make the conference a success, and to achieve tangible results with
implementation mechanisms that are clear, with a specific timetable, that aim to the
establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass
destruction in the Middle East.

As what relates to Iran's nuclear program, my country's delegation supports the

ongoing efforts to resolve this crisis peacefully, as well as guaranteeing the Islamic
Republic of Iran, and all the other states in the region, the right to use nuclear energy
for peaceful purposes, under the supervision and monitoring of the IAEA. We also call
upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to cooperate fully with the international efforts, as
well as to work on implementing the relevant Security Council resolutions, cooperate
with the IAEA and implement its decisions, in order to leave the crisis phase behind it
and ensure the stability and safety of the Arab Gulf region in particular, and the
wider Middle East region, in general.