On September 26^th, 2024, the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, participated in the High-Level Meeting Commemorating the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, held in New York, where she reaffirmed “Timor-Leste’s unwavering support for the total elimination of nuclear weapons” and called on “all state parties, both nuclear and non-nuclear, to promote constructive dialogue that fosters international peace and security for the common good”. 

 During her speech, the Vice-Minister highlighted “the serious consequences of nuclear testing and production, which significantly jeopardize human safety, including long-term repercussions for health and environmental degradation”.

 “A nuclear war would have catastrophic results for humanity,” she warned. In this context of “global conflicts”, “such as those taking place in Gaza, the Middle East and Ukraine”, it is essential to “collectively recognize the serious consequences of nuclear testing and production”.

 “Timor-Leste, as a state committed to disarmament and non-proliferation, advocates international collaboration and shared commitments for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.” Since the beginning of its independence in 2002, Timor-Leste has been committed to nuclear disarmament, having signed and ratified, in September 2022, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, formally assuming this commitment to an essential international norm for peace and collective security. 

 The Vice-Minister called on “all states, particularly nuclear-weapon states, to comply with and fully implement their obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons” and to “contribute constructively to the peaceful denuclearization of the world”, stressing the importance of building trust and promoting an environment of global security. 

  Milena Maria da Costa Rangel also stressed the need to “defend the principles of peace and security, favoring diplomatic negotiations and mutual solutions.”

 Timor-Leste will continue to defend nuclear disarmament and seek diplomatic solutions that promote international peace and security, reiterating its commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons.