Meeting of the Commission for the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty

On the afternoon of 2 August, as part of the programme of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-54) and related meetings, the Meeting of the Commission for the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ) was held online. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son led the Vietnamese delegation to the meeting.

At the meeting, the ASEAN countries reaffirmed the importance of the SEANWFZ Treaty to regional security and their commitment to keeping Southeast Asia free of nuclear weapons, while ensuring the right of countries to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The countries also committed to continuing the effective implementation of the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the SEANWFZ Treaty for the 2018–2022 period, and agreed to continue consultations and to encourage the nuclear-weapon States to sign the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty at an early date.

The meeting stressed the need to further enhance the role and promote the value of the Treaty, particularly at the United Nations, thereby contributing to global efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The countries commended Vietnam, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair in 2020, for finalising the Memorandum on activities related to the SEANWFZ Treaty and submitting it to the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The meeting acknowledged the efforts of ASEAN sectoral bodies in promoting technical cooperation and expanding cooperation with partner countries and international organisations in the fields of nuclear security and safety and the peaceful use of atomic energy. The countries welcomed the coordination between the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) in developing ASEAN guidelines on emergency preparedness and response to nuclear/radiological incidents.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Bui Thanh Son shared his views on the significance and role of the SEANWFZ Treaty and commended the implementation of the Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the SEANWFZ Treaty for the 2018–2022 period despite the many difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister affirmed his support for ASEAN continuing consultations with the nuclear-weapon States on their accession to the SEANWFZ Protocol, and stressed the importance of upholding the objectives, principles and integrity of the Treaty. Minister Bui Thanh Son also welcomed the development of ASEAN guidelines on emergency response to nuclear and radiological incidents, regarding this as an important contribution to the ASEAN SHIELD Initiative of the Bruneian Chair to strengthen ASEAN's collective capacity to respond to natural disasters.