Topic: Recommendations for the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Delegate Name: Annie Lilac
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Democratic Republic of the Congo position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
The Democratic Republic of the Congo recognizes the threat that nuclear weapons can pose and the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as the furthering of nuclear disarmament. The DRC has been party to the NPT since 1970 and is internationally recognized as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State. The DRC is also a member of the sixty-five nation Conference on Disarmament (CD), has signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and was one of 125 countries to sign the Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons in 2013. The DRC is hoping that in reviewing the NPT, more countries will participate in actively implementing its goals, creating a safer, more enjoyable international environment.
The DRC fully supports new efforts being made towards nuclear disarmament, including the reduction of nuclear stockpiles and the safe disposal of fissile materials. Having had problems with violent groups of non-state actors in the past, the DRC is especially concerned by the threat that “loose nukes” pose, should they fall into the wrong hands. The DRC would additionally support restricting the spread of enrichment technology, while still allowing countries to retain the right to nuclear energy. It is also extremely important to the DRC that the trade in uranium, as well as other materials used in nuclear technology, not be restricted, as these natural resources are a major source of income in its economy. Focus should also be placed on areas of current instability, such as the Middle East.
