The Philippines will assume the presidency of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to be held in New York from March 3 to 28, a Malacañang official said Monday.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar said the Philippines will make a pitch against global terrorism while calling on the 189 state parties to the NPT to work towards a nuclear-free world.

“We do have an active role to play to seek to address the movement of nuclear materials and other dangerous materials. That’s why we are active in this non-proliferation movement,” Olivar told reporters.

Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, president-elect of the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty (NPT) Review Conference from May 3 to 28, said they are expecting to map out the roadmap towards the full elimination of the nuclear arms, to declare a nuclear-free Middle East and to achieve the full implementation of the NPT.

Treating the nuclear issue as “more pressing” than climate change, Cabactulan said the Philippines will push for the establishment of nuclear-free zone in Middle East to benefit millions of Filipino workers

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the Philippines is pushing for a nuclear-free world for the benefit of Filipino workers scattered around the globe, particularly in areas where existence of “devastating and inhumane” nuclear weapons is prominent, including the United States, Europe, Northeast Asia, and the Middle East.

“It is in our national interest that there is a balanced implementation of all three pillars of the treaty, namely nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. On nuclear disarmament, it would be for the good of our country and all our people if this most deadly and destructive weapon is eliminated once and for all to ensure that there is no nuclear exchange in our region or anywhere else in the world, given the almost global presence of the Filipino,” Romulo said in his departure statement.

During his meetings with Southeast Asian counterparts, he encouraged foreign ministers from Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear explosions either for military or civilian purposes.

There were also moves to convince Myanmar and Timor Leste to follow suit. There are 150 countries that have ratified the CTBT and nine countries from Annex 2 states have yet to ratify the treaty, including China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel and the United States, India, North Korea and Pakistan.

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. said the international community should take seriously the issue of nuclear disarmament and non- proliferation.

He said it is not only the eight million Filipinos overseas who would be affected, but the entire Philippine population of 92 million.  Siazon said once there is a ‘nuclearization’ in the Korean Peninsula, the entire country will be exposed to such proliferation

The NPT, which entered into force in 1970, was extended indefinitely in 1995. It calls for a review to be held every five years to assess the operation and implementation of the Treaty.