The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. AP
The resolution calls for all nuclear facilities in the Middle East to be placed under the IAEA safeguards system, for all states in the region to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the adoption of the resolution reflects the broad international support for the resolution and its objectives.
The resolution is part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to achieve disarmament and prevent nuclear proliferation, particularly in the Middle East, to advance the universality of the NPT, and to ensure the international community fulfils its responsibilities and legal obligations under the treaty.
In 1968, Egypt signed the NPT, which it later ratified in 1981. Egypt has repeatedly warned that Israel’s refusal to join the treaty or place its nuclear sites under IAEA oversight remains the main obstacle.
It first proposed creating a Middle East nuclear-weapon-free zone at the UN in 1974. Since then, the UN General Assembly has endorsed the initiative annually by consensus.
Egypt helped in 1995 secure a resolution at the NPT Review and Extension Conference calling for a Middle East free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
According to the UN, the NPT is a global treaty for preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting cooperation in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
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