New York/Information Office/15 October 2016/The State of Qatar expressed deep concern over failure to achieve a tangible progress on nuclear disarmament and the repeated failure to comply with the implementation of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear and the 13 "practical steps" outlined in the 2000 NPT review conference final document and the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The State of Qatar stressed that nuclear-armed states disavowed to put any specific time frames for the implementation of these international commitments for the total elimination of nuclear weapons is of great concern, adding that the failure to implement the decisions and results of the previous review cycles impinge on their credibility. This came in the State of Qatar's speech delivered by Abdulaziz Hamdan Al-Ahmed, a member of Qatar's delegation to the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly before the First Committee on the Item "Nuclear Weapons." Al-Ahmad said the State of Qatar appreciates the efforts being exerted to move forward on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, but the progress in nuclear disarmament is still insufficient compare to the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons, stressing the importance of compliance by all States parties with Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ("NPT"), which states that "each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations at an early date and to nuclear disarmament." Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are a priority for the international community, he said, warning of the long-term humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and stressing that the consolidation of peace, security and stability in the world requires nuclear disarmament and investing instead in social and economic development. Despite that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts remain stalled, the threats posed by nuclear weapons require more efforts to create favorable conditions towards a nuclear-free world in accordance with the objectives of the NPT. The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East represents one of the key factors that haunt the people of the region in the absence of real international efforts for the elimination of nuclear weapons and in light of the on-going turmoil in the Middle East and the arising risks that terrorist groups could acquire these weapons. Enhanced international cooperation is required to spare the region and the world the dangers, for which, the NPT was established, he went on saying. Al-Ahmad reiterated the State of Qatar's disappointment over the failure of the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), stressing that the establishment of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ) is the "fourth pillar" of the NPT. In 1995, at the NPT Review and Extension. Conference, States parties adopted a set of decisions, including on the indefinite extension of the Treaty, he explained. In recognition of the serious humanitarian implications of the existence of nuclear weapons, the State of Qatar reaffirms its support for international efforts to address the humanitarian impact of these weapons and would continue to fulfill its legal obligations arising from its accession to the international conventions relating to disarmament, Al-Ahmad concluded.