CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Dear Colleagues,
It is a pleasure to present the Resolution the Science and Technology Committee to you.
The Science and Technology Committee has been focusing its work on how new technologies are transforming the international security environment.
This Resolution, which was passed by the Committee yesterday addresses the challenges emerging and disruptive technologies pose for Arms Control, but also the opportunities they offer. Allow me to elaborate briefly.
In space, governments and private actors are launching more satellites into orbit than ever before, opening the door to great benefits, but also serious risks, like debris fields and offensive space weapons.
Rapid advances are taking place in biotechnology, increasing the risks related to bioweapons and bioterrorism.
We also need to be mindful of the impact that new technologies like AI and hypersonic weapons will have on global nuclear capabilities, and on strategic stability more broadly.
So, we know that new technology brings great promise, but also uncertainty. And in our increasingly contentious world, uncertainty could lead to accident, miscalculation, and conflict.
In light of this, we should be especially concerned by the behaviour of Russia and China, both of whom are aggressively developing new military technologies behind a veil of secrecy.
Russia today seeks an edge over us Allies by using new technologies asymmetrically – especially in the cyber domain. This strategy is unnecessary, destabilising, and risky.
China, too, is aggressively developing its military capabilities and incorporating new technologies into its military strategy – all while its military ambitions and its goals remain deeply opaque.
If we want to deal with these concerns and reduce uncertainty there is only one meaningful solution, and that is robust, comprehensive, and verifiable arms control.
Arms control agreements bring predictability, transparency, and stability. The more rules-of-the-road that we can agree on with our adversaries, the more security we will all enjoy.
The resolution presented to you here highlights concrete recommendations to that end.
One recommendation I want to highlight here is point “f”, which relates to the expanded use of NATO as an arms control forum. With arms control, there is strength in numbers, so the more Allies are unified and indivisible when it comes to arms control negotiations, the more comprehensive and verifiable agreements can be.
To that end, continued cooperation with our NATO partners, like Japan and the Republic of Korea, will also be critical.
I hope you will consider this resolution carefully and approve its recommendations. Arms control is a powerful tool at our disposal, one we should use to keep the Alliance safe, and our defence and deterrence strong.
Thank you.
