Statement by Sweden at the UN Security Council Briefing on Non-proliferation

Mr President,

I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Feltman, Ambassador Cardi and Ambassador Vale de Almeida for their thoughtful briefings.

Sweden sees the agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a milestone, which represents an important example of dispute resolution and conflict prevention. Its continued implementation is paying dividends in terms of international peace and security and stability in the region.

There are encouraging developments and there are issues of concern – we should be open about both.

We welcome the report of the Secretary-General, which shows that implementation of the JCPOA continues to be broadly in line with expectations. That the procurement channel is working according to plan is encouraging, as is Iran's general compliance with its nuclear-related obligations as evident by the IAEA reports. It is also important that the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to provisionally apply the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement. In addition, we look forward to Iran's early ratification of the Additional Protocol.

Mr President,

In spite of the generally positive picture, I would like to mention three areas that continue to cause concern.

Firstly, we have previously expressed our concern regarding ballistic missile tests inconsistent with resolution 2231.

Secondly, the seizure of arms, apparently originating in Iran, in contravention of the measures in resolution 2231 is deeply disturbing. Unless exempted, any transfer of arms to and from Iran requires the authorization of the Security Council. We will carefully study the Secretary-General's future reports relating to confiscated materiel as more information becomes available.

Finally, like others, we reiterate our concern with the continued contraventions of the travel ban.

It is important that Member States provide to the Secretary-General all the information necessary to carry out the reporting requirements set out in the resolution. We call on the government of Iran to formally respond to allegations as identified in the Secretary-General report.

Mr President,

The agreement of the JCPOA in July 2015 underscored the power of dialogue to make progress in non-proliferation. However, reaping the full benefits of the agreement will require a long-term commitment by all parties. We echo the call of the Secretary-General for all States to act in accordance with, and in support of, the agreement, and to avoid provocative rhetoric or action. Mutual trust is essential for this historic agreement to succeed.

Thank you.