Monday, 06 April 2026
Presenter: H.E. Jayantha Jayasuriya
Location: New York
Statement by H.E. Jayantha Jayasuriya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations 2026 Substantive Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
Mr. Chair,
At the outset, I extend my sincere congratulations to you and the other members of the Bureau onyour election. Sri Lanka assures you of our full support and cooperation in advancing the importantwork of this Commission.
Sri Lanka aligns itself with the statement delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-AlignedMovement.
We join with other delegations to express our regret over the failure to reach a consensus onadopting the provisional agenda for this year, by this esteemed commission.
Mr. Chair,
We meet at a critical juncture of international peace and security. The persistence of nuclearweapons, together with their modernization and the emergence of new technological risks, remaina matter of serious concern. The incineration of cities, the poisoning of the environment, disruptionto the food and water supplies, and most importantly, the loss of thousands of innocent lives will nodoubt change the order of our world forever. In a nutshell, ‘No nation, no family, would be immune’from any nuclear weapon detonation.
Mr. Chair,
Yet today, approximately 12,000 such catastrophic weapons exist. Their continued presencerepresents a constant threat hanging over all of humanity. We cannot become numb to this reality.Despite decades of commitments, nuclear arsenals remain and are being modernized. This isincompatible with our shared aspiration for a world free of nuclear weapons and, fundamentally,incompatible with the survival of the human family.Sri Lanka reaffirms that the total elimination of nuclear weapons remains the only absoluteguarantee against their use or threat of use. We call upon nuclear-weapon States to fulfill their legalobligations and unequivocal undertaking under the NPT for the complete elimination of theirnuclear arsenals.
Nuclear disarmament must remain the highest priority and cannot be made conditional uponnon-proliferation efforts or strategic stability concerns. Sri Lanka advocates for negotiations in theConference on Disarmament for a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons with a specifiedtimeframe for their destruction.
As a State Party to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and having ratified theComprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Sri Lanka demonstrates its commitment to practicalsteps toward the realization of a nuclear-weapon-free world.
Mr. Chair,
Nuclear-weapon-free zones represent important regional steps toward global disarmament. SriLanka particularly emphasizes the urgent need for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.Current conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East make clear the urgent need to addressthe nuclear dimension of regional security. The continued absence of such a zone poses real risks tointernational peace and security. In this context, Sri Lanka welcomes the successive sessions of theConference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone, most recently under Morocco’s presidency.
Mr. Chair,
On emerging technologies, Sri Lanka is concerned on the excessive use of autonomous weapons inthe ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are only beginning to understand that the rapidadvancement of AI, and cyber capabilities are reshaping the strategic use in modern warfare thatrequire urgent attention of this Commission, in view of its mandate.
Of particular concern is the integration of AI into military decision-making, especially for nuclearcommand and control. To hand over life-and-death decisions to algorithms is incompatible withinternational humanitarian law and human dignity. Sri Lanka reiterates that the humanresponsibility must be maintained at every stage of the use of force.
Sri Lanka supports the Secretary-General’s call for a legally binding instrument to prohibit lethalautonomous weapons systems without meaningful human control. The status quo demands such alegal instrument than never before.
The growing threat to cybersecurity infrastructure, including nuclear command and controlsystems and Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) represent a new frontier of instabilityrequiring new frameworks for international cooperation and restraint. Any regulatory frameworkmust ensure compliance with international humanitarian law, preserve human decision-makingauthority, ensure equitable access to beneficial technologies for peaceful purposes, and bridge thetechnological divide through international cooperation and capacity building.
Mr. Chair,
Today’s challenges before us are matters of survival for humanity. We must move beyond rhetoricto results. To achieve results, all stakeholders should work in hand in hand.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.