Co-chairs,
Norway welcomes the convening of this meeting and thanks Kazakhstan, Kiribati and UNODA for their efforts in bringing together States, international organizations, experts, civil society and representatives of affected communities for this important exchange.
Nuclear weapons use and testing have a lasting legacy, continuing to affect individuals, communities and environments in different parts of the world. We should also remember the ways in which these explosions have an aggravated effect on girls and women specifically. The humanitarian and environmental consequences persist across generations. This bleak chapter of the nuclear legacy has often been overlooked and requires our collective attention.
Norway has therefore been a consistent supporter of the General Assembly resolutions on victim assistance and environmental remediation.
Supporting efforts to understand and address this issue is consistent with Norway's longstanding engagement on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and our commitment to ensuring that nuclear weapons are never tested or used again. It also complements our broader efforts to reduce nuclear risks, strengthen arms control, support nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and promote the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
We believe there is great value in bringing together affected communities and States, international organizations, scientific experts and other relevant stakeholders, like we do today. To address a problem effectively, we need to understand the details of it. The experiences and expertise of those directly affected are indispensable in this regard. Combined with scientific research and technical expertise, these perspectives can help build a more comprehensive understanding of needs and challenges, informing more effective, high-quality victim assistance and environmental remediation efforts. At the same time, it contributes to a stronger evidence base for our work on disarmament, non-proliferation, arms control and risk reduction. Transparency and confidence-building measures, including the effective implementation of IAEA safeguards and the Additional Protocol, also play an important role in strengthening international efforts to prevent the re-emergence of nuclear testing and proliferation risks.
Co-chairs,
Norway has sought to support such efforts in practice. In 2024 the NukeEXPO Conference in Oslo brought together experts, policymakers, humanitarian actors and representatives of affected communities to explore the risks and humanitarian impacts associated with nuclear weapons. Norway has also supported Norwegian People's Aid's work to assess global needs related to victim assistance and environmental remediation resulting from nuclear weapons testing. These initiatives reflect the value of strengthening both the evidence base and the exchange of experience on these issues.
In this regard, we also welcome ongoing efforts within the United Nations to strengthen scientific understanding of the effects of nuclear weapons, notably through the UN Panel on the effects of nuclear war to which Norway has provided financial support.
Our hope is that this meeting will lay the groundwork for concrete, actionable recommendations that translate discussion into action, strengthening cooperation and enabling more effective, high-quality assistance to the communities affected by the use and testing of nuclear weapons, as well as the remediation of environmental consequences thereof.
Norway looks forward to continuing these discussions.
I thank you, co-chairs.