27 March 2008

Ambassador Jean- François Dobelle of France addressed the Conference on Disarmament (CD), tabling as an official document the text of a speech given by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on 21 March. The representatives of Canada, Chile on behalf of ten Latin American countries, the Russian Federation, Iran, and China also addressed the CD. At the end of the meeting, rotating President of the CD Ambassador Yevhen Bersheda of Ukraine introduced a presidential report he had prepared.

French nuclear forces
Ambassador Dobelle emphasized some key points from Sarkozy's speech, including his belief "that the fundamental principles of the nuclear deterrence have not changed," and his argument that deterrence "has a strictly defensive purpose and constitutes the Nation's life insurance policy." Dobelle also reiterated Sarkozy's suggestion that France "fully complies with its international commitments, notably the NPT and particularly its article VI." In this context he noted that France had "voluntarily reduced by a third the number of its nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines [SSBNs]" and that France will reduce its nuclear arsenal to fewer than 300 nuclear warheads, half of its total during the Cold War. Sarkozy's speech indicated these reductions would come from the air-based nuclear forces.

While these reductions and efforts to be transparent are most welcome, it is important to note that France continues to modernize all branches of its nuclear forces. Sarkozy's announcement of cuts to the French nuclear arsenal was made during the unveiling of Le Terrible, the country's newest SSBN. In addition, France also expects to begin taking delivery of a new class of submarine-launched ballistic missiles with new warheads in 2008 for deployment aboard its SSBNs. The French Air Force is expected to take delivery of its first squadron of the new Rafale F3 nuclear fighter-bomber in 2008. The French Navy is expected to take delivery of the carrier-based version of the Rafale F3 in 2009. The planes are to be equipped with a new cruise missile, the ASMP-A, which France expects to deploy aboard its Mirage 2000N fighter-bombers in late 2008. The cruise missiles, equipped with a new warhead, are expected to be deployed on the Rafale F3 around 2010.

Proposed action plan on nuclear disarmament
Ambassador Dobelle also outlined the eight point action plan for nuclear disarmament that President Sarkozy suggested in his speech, which calls on the eight states that have conducted a nuclear weapon test—along with the rest of the international community—to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; dismantle all nuclear testing sites transparently; support the negotiation of a fissile material cut-off treaty in the CD; establish an immediate moratorium against the production of fissile materials; elaborate transparency measures; negotiate a treaty banning short- and intermediate-range surface-to-surface missiles; adhere to and implement all of the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation; and mobilize on all other fields of disarmament.

These suggested steps are also welcome, especially presented as they were in the framework of the 2010 NPT Review Conference—many of the steps suggested are included in the 13 Practical Steps for the implementation of Article VI adopted by the 2000 NPT Review Conference. It is notable that a nuclear weapon state is advocating for nuclear disarmament to be on the agenda for 2010. Unfortunately, this proposal seems inconsistent with Sarkozy's insistence that nuclear weapons are vital for French, European, and NATO security. He emphasized that France's "nuclear deterrence protects us from any aggression against our vital interests emanating from a state," and suggested that a "nuclear warning" could be sent to those states who "miscalculate the delimitation of our vital interests or our determination to safeguard them."

In his statement to the Conference, Mr. Mohammed Tayhi Hosseini of Iran remarked that he is "concerned about the position of some Nuclear Weapon States including France for fabricating every excuse to avoid the fulfillment of their obligations under Article VI of the NPT, nuclear disarmament and the total elimination of nuclear weapons."

Proposed programme of work
Ambassador Marius Grinius of Canada welcomed CD/1840, the Presidential Draft Decision introduced on 13 March, and gave it Canada's "full support." Ambassador Alejandro Rogers of Chile, speaking also on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela, and the observer countries Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, said that these governments supported CD/1840 and hope the Conference will adopt a substantive programme of work as soon as possible.

Mr. Victor Vasiliev of the Russian Federation said that while CD/1840 is the logical outcome of the CD's work in recent years, not everything in the proposal is fully acceptable to Russia. He explained that Russia would like to see a more active mandate regarding its priority concerns, such as the prevention of an arms race in outer space. However, because CD/1840 represents a compromise, Mr. Vasiliev indicated that Russia would not reject it. China's Ambassador Wang Qu said he did not think that difference on the programme of work were too daunting, though he expressed dismay with the lack of sincerity and will to overcome these differences and called for fresh perspectives and joint efforts to narrow the differences.

Coordinators reports
Mr. Vasiliev also remarked that member states had not been given the opportunity to study or comment on the proposals for the coordinators reports, and expressed hope that the coordinators would consult with members during the second part of the session. Ambassador Wang agreed with Mr. Vasiliev, arguing that if broader consultations had been conducted on the report on prevention of an arms race in outer space, the report would have been more balanced, objective, and accurate.

Mr. Vasiliev also announced that the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is hosting a conference on outer space security on 31 March–1 April and a conference on international information security on 24–25 April at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Today was the last plenary in the first part of the 2008 session of the CD. The second part of the session will be held from 12 May to 27 June and the next plenary of the Conference is scheduled for Thursday, 15 May at 10am.

- Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will