S/PV.5984 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2008/624, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Belgium, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. It is my understand that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided. I shall now give the floor to members of the Council wishing to make statements before the voting.

Indonesia’s principled position with regard to the issue before the Council remains. First, it is imperative to find a peaceful solution to any question related to nuclear non-proliferation. Secondly, any solution must be guided by the need to protect the integrity of multilateral arrangements, in particular the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which is fundamentally based upon three main pillars, namely non-proliferation, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear disarmament. Thirdly, Indonesia has full confidence in the credibility, independence and efficiency of the International Atomic Energy Agency as the sole competent authority for the verification of the respective safeguard obligations of Member States. The present draft resolution does not provide for additional sanctions against Iran. If it did, we would not have been able to support it. The draft resolution reaffirms previous statements and resolutions and calls on Iran to comply fully with its obligations under those resolutions. However, it would not have sufficed to stop there. As a matter of principle, Indonesia attaches the greatest weight to a negotiated solution of the issue. It is our firm belief that negotiations and dialogue offer the best chance for a solution. My delegation therefore appreciates the incorporation of its amendment reaffirming the commitment to a negotiated solution of the issue as part of the dual-track approach. Such a dual-track approach must have the same common objectives and must not cancel one another out. An atmosphere conducive to the negotiations must be nurtured and promoted. Indonesia shall work earnestly to ensure that the Council’s resolutions add value and do not lessen it, and that they provide incentives, and not disincentives, to negotiations. From our perspective, the draft resolution before us is, above all, a reaffirmation of the intrinsic promise of negotiation as a means to find solutions. For those considerations and reasons, Indonesia will vote in favour of the draft resolution before us today.

The Council will now proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/2008/624) before it.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1835 (2008). There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.