Prime Minister Kishida, my counterpart Ministers and fellow Friends, Excellencies, and distinguished delegates.
We are all here because we understand the devastation wrought by nuclear weapons.
Because nuclear conflict would herald the end of humanity as we know it.
Because we never want nuclear weapons used again.
Australia wants a world without nuclear weapons. We recognise the urgent need for progress so that future generations do not face the risk of catastrophe.
We are working with others to strengthen the rules and norms that form the foundation of our multilateral system, that underpin global peace and security.
And we are engaging constructively to identify realistic pathways for nuclear disarmament and to reduce the risks posed by nuclear weapons.
In that spirit, I thank Japan for inviting Australia to join the Friends of the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, or FMCT.
We are here today to encourage greater political attention to commencing negotiations on a FMCT.
The cross-regional nature of our grouping shows the breadth of interest in seeing this longstanding undertaking finally put into action.
Shortly after the FMCT Resolution was first passed at the United Nations General Assembly, Australia’s Foreign Minister Gareth Evans urged support for three treaties on disarmament and non-proliferation.
We know them today as the Southeast-Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, or the Bangkok Treaty, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, and an FMCT.
Combined, the CTBT and the FMCT will drastically limit nuclear arsenals, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Australia is proud to have consistently advocated and engaged in the technical work needed to bring the FMCT into existence over the last 30 years.
That is why we have joined with others to urge progress on this critical Treaty, which would be a milestone step towards irreversible nuclear disarmament.
This Treaty will contribute to disarmament by verifiably capping the amount of high-enriched uranium and separated plutonium available for use in nuclear weapons.
It will contribute to non-proliferation by further tightening controls on fissile material, reducing the risk of this material leaking to unwanted actors.
We acknowledged when we created the UN system that we can only solve our biggest problems together, and we have already achieved so much.
But we all know there is still much work to do.
The groundwork of formal negotiations has been laid thanks to the tireless efforts and dedication of so many of the Friends of the FMCT here in the room with us today.
The only obstacle is a lack of more widespread political will.
That is why we must focus on galvanising and leading others on the pathway to a FMCT.
So, today, I celebrate the launch of this group of Friends, congratulate Japan for this welcome initiative, and I renew Australia’s call for action on this important Treaty.
