We, the G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group, seek a safer, more prosperous world, with undiminished security for all. We are convinced that, in an increasingly uncertain security environment, meaningful progress on disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control will require sustained engagement and mutual understanding from all concerned parties. We also recognize the value of incorporating a variety of perspectives in disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control decision-making processes. We pledge to lead by example, fostering dialogue, cooperation, and transparency as we collectively confront these challenges. We invite all States who share our vision to join us in these efforts.
We take note of the rising demand for nuclear energy and commit to working together to ensure that civil nuclear programs around the globe are consistent with the highest international safety, security, and safeguards standards, guidelines, and recommendations. We reiterate our principled opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons as detrimental to international peace and security. We will continue to support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its mission to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material and the absence of undeclared nuclear activities, as well as initiatives aimed at curbing nuclear proliferation, including through the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (Global Partnership). Further to the G7 Charlevoix Foreign Ministers' Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity, we will also tackle maritime sanctions evasion networks linked to illicit weapons programs, including through the establishment of a Shadow Fleet Task Force.
The G7 remains resolute in seeking peace and stability in the Middle East. We re-iterate that Iran can never have or acquire a nuclear weapon. We call for the resumption of negotiations aimed at achieving a comprehensive, verifiable, and durable agreement that addresses Iran's nuclear program. It is essential that Iran remain party to, and fully implement its obligations under, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), including its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, as a non-nuclear weapon State. We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action and to urgently resume full cooperation with the IAEA, including by providing verifiable information about all nuclear material in Iran. Such measures would help build confidence that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. We also continue to express our serious concerns about Iran's proliferation of ballistic missiles, and its support for its proxies and partners such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-aligned militias in Iraq.
We reiterate our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). We demand that the DPRK abandon all nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD), ballistic missiles, and related activities in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State in accordance with the NPT nor any special status of any kind. We re-affirm the importance of upholding and fully and effectively implementing all relevant UNSCRs. We commit to countering sanction-evasion activities and illicit practices that fund the DPRK's unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs, with Russia and China being the most significant facilitators. We urge the DPRK to halt destabilizing weapons testing and not conduct any further nuclear tests. We re-affirm that the G7 seeks to support diplomatic efforts, based on mutual respect, to address the deteriorating security environment on the Korean Peninsula, with the ultimate goal of achieving peace and stability in the region and beyond.
We condemn Russia's continued brutal war against Ukraine. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty, and independence. We underscore the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any continued aggression. We condemn the provision of all military assistance to Russia by the DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, and will continue to take action against those who support Russia's war and the build-up of Russia's military force. We remain committed to international efforts, most notably by the IAEA, to uphold nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, including at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. We welcome ongoing efforts to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire and to negotiate a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. So long as such a ceasefire is not reached, we will continue to explore all options, such as further ramping up sanctions against Russia.
We reiterate our commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons, recalling the unprecedented devastation and immense human suffering the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced as a result of the atomic bombings of 1945. We underscore the importance of the 80-year record of non-use of nuclear weapons, the overall decline in global nuclear arsenals since the end of the Cold War, and efforts to limit the tremendous sums devoted to nuclear weapons worldwide. In support of these objectives, we will seek to foster meaningful dialogue with a view to advancing strategic risk reduction, nuclear arms control, and nuclear disarmament. We are concerned with China's significant nuclear weapons build-up, which lacks transparency and meaningful safeguards against unintended nuclear escalation. We also seek Russia's return to full compliance with the New START Treaty and follow-on nuclear arms control measures. Reciprocal transparency regarding nuclear forces, doctrines, and delivery systems benefits all parties and contributes to global stability.
The G7 will continue to work toward strengthening the international treaty architecture underpinning nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We underline the essential role of the NPT as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technologies. We call on those States that have not yet done so to accede to the NPT, and on those who have acceded to fully implement their obligations under the Treaty. We commit to working with all States to achieve a successful Review Conference in 2026 and to support constructive discussions in all subsidiary bodies of the Conference on Disarmament, including those on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for use in nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. We deplore all attempts to obstruct the work of disarmament fora. We also re-commit to the objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty for international peace and security and to support with the necessary resources, subject to our domestic requirements, the long-term sustainability of the International Monitoring System.
We emphasize the need for the full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). Any use or threat of use of biological or chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstances is unacceptable, and those responsible for the use of such weapons must be held accountable. We note the importance of ongoing efforts to consider measures to enhance the effectiveness of the BTWC, such as the establishment of the long over-due International Cooperation and Assistance and Science and Technology mechanisms and the exchanges on other matters, including compliance and verification. We call for the immediate cessation of the use of riot control agents as a method of warfare and any other chemical attacks in Ukraine, and in this regard express grave concern over the reported use of chloropicrin in Ukraine. We welcome the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) independent verification of CS, a riot control agent, in samples collected by Ukraine and call for the timely attribution of any prohibited use of chemical agents. We commend Syria for its commitment to eliminate the Assad regime's chemical weapons and stand ready to support the OPCW to seize this historic opportunity.
We remain committed to preventing an arms race in outer space in all its aspects, recalling the obligation of all States Parties to comply with the Outer Space Treaty, including the prohibition against placing in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying WMD. The G7 supports the establishment of norms, rules, and principles of responsible space behaviours to help enhance security, mitigate threats against space systems, and reduce misperceptions that can increase the risk of armed conflict. We urge all States to ratify the Outer Space Treaty and comply with all its provisions, underscoring that international law, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, applies to activities in outer space. We call on all States to refrain from irresponsible behaviours, aggressive rhetoric, or actions that can lead to unintended escalation, including destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests, which might have widespread and irreversible impacts on the outer space environment. We reiterate the need for international cooperation to strengthen safety, security, stability, and sustainability for all States to benefit from the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.
The G7 recognizes the profound implications of emerging technologies with potential applications in the realm of both WMD and conventional weapons. Artificial intelligence, drone technology, quantum computing, advanced robotics, and biotechnology are among the technologies that can create tremendous opportunities for the betterment of humankind but also generate security threats. We commit to mitigating the risks associated with these technologies by facilitating their responsible development, deployment, and use, including through threat-reduction programming under the Global Partnership and other relevant bodies, and by adhering to applicable international law. We will seek to implement commitments on biosecurity and biosafety through cross-sectoral, expert-level work in high-priority areas. We also reaffirm our commitment to coordinating effective export controls-through multilateral export control regimes and robust national systems-on potential military-use items, technologies, and research, to safeguard international peace and security.
We remain unwavering in our commitment to fostering undiminished security for all and reducing the risks posed by WMD. We recognize the complex challenges ahead and the need for multilateral cooperation and a forward-looking approach. As we witness a rise in conflicts and tensions across the world, the international community must unite to address the root causes of insecurity, instability, and armed conflict. We reiterate our call for all States to join in this effort, ensuring a future in which security, trust, and the ultimate elimination of WMD prevail.
