from North Korea to work under conditions that reportedly amount to forced labour. NON-PROLIFERATION AND DISARMAMENT The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems continues to be a major and pressing concern and a threat to international peace and security. We remain committed to the universalization and implementation of the in force Treaties and Conventions relevant to preventing and combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, namely the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC). And to this end, we continue to lend our full support to the efforts of the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction to reduce the threat of terrorist acquisition of such weapons and materials worldwide. There is no alternative to an inclusive step-by-step, progressive approach to promote nuclear disarmament taking into account the need for international stability and security for all as the way to create conditions that could allow a world without nuclear weapons. In this respect, we reiterate our support for a halt to the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, which is the objective of a fissile material cut-off treaty, and welcome the establishment of the high-level fissile material cut-off treaty expert preparatory group to address challenges in this area. While recalling the UN Security Council Resolution 2310(2016), we note the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty’s potential contribution to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We strongly encourage all interested States to complete as a matter of priority the International Monitoring System established by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. We also stress our commitment to take advantage of the upcoming NPT review cycle and, by focusing on fundamental common interests, to achieve progress, in strengthening the NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and a foundation for nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy in conformity with non-proliferation obligations. We are deeply concerned about the illicit transfer, especially to terrorists , and destabilizing accumulation of conventional arms, in particular small arms and light weapons, and related ammunition, which continue to constitute a major Joint Communiqué | G7 FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING 21

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