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Support from delegations and NGOs for bringing the CD back to work

During the Conference on Disarmament (CD)’s morning plenary on 28 May, several more delegations announced their support for the proposed programme of work, CD/1863, including Belarus, Bulgaria, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, and Mexico. During an afternoon informal meeting, non-governmental organizations were invited, in what current CD president Ambassador Jazaïry of Algeria described as an “interesting experiment,” to deliver presentations to the CD.

Brief highlights
The delegations of Belarus, Bulgaria, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, and Mexico expressed their support for CD/1863.

NGO representatives delivered presentations to an informal meeting.

Support for CD/1863
India’s Ambassador Rao announced that his delegation “will not stand in the way of the adoption” of CD/1863, though he specified that they “reserve the right to make remarks on substantive elements of the Programme of work after its formal adoption by the Conference.” He expressed disappointment that the CD has not yet launched negotiations on nuclear disarmament and encouraged the Conference to “explore all possible avenues to make progress so as to respond meaningfully to growing international opinion in favour of a vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.”

The delegations of Belarus, Bulgaria, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, and Mexico also voiced their support for CD/1863, commending the positive environment and the work of the CD presidents since 2006. Mr. James O’Shea of Ireland noted that if each member state was tasked with drafting a programme of work, there would be 65 different proposals on the table. Nevertheless, his delegation and those of CD/1863’s other supporters argued that it is a balanced compromise.

Bulgaria’s representative explained that his delegation is supporting CD/1863 both as a gesture of political good will—having supported every major initiative to break the CD deadlock—and on the basis of the proposal’s merit. Iraq’s representative noted that even though her delegation was unable to consult with any of the six presidents on the draft, it supports CD/1863. Current CD president Ambassador Jazaïry thanked her for her this “expression of confidence.”

The representative of Belarus noted that while every state has its own understanding of national security, CD/1863 is a common denominator. Furthermore, he argued, no state will be deprived of the right to set their priorities during future work of the CD. Quoting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, he asserted that differences are no excuse for paralysis.

Fissile materials treaty
Ambassador Manfredi of Italy argued that a fissile materials cut-off treaty (FMCT) is the “natural complement” to the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty being negotiated by the United States and the Russian Federation “and to the renewed efforts to achieve the formal entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.”

Reiterating its previous position, Ambassador Rao of India noted that his delegation is “willing to conclude a universal, non-discriminatory and internationally verifiable treaty banning the future production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices.”

Notes from the podium
For the first time, the CD hosted an informal NGO panel, with speakers from WILPF, the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy, the Secure World Foundation, and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. An informative, interactive discussion followed each presentation with a wide variety of delegates participating. While the current CD president Ambassador Jazaïry noted that this would not constitute a precedent, some of the attending delegations said they hoped it would be a precedent. NGOs would certainly welcome future opportunities to engage with the CD in its work.

Part of the WILPF statement was prepared by Ray Acheson of Reaching Critical Will and can be found online in PDF and HTML. It was delivered on Ray’s behalf by Susi Snyder, Secretary General of WILPF, who also spoke specifically on issues of verification, fissile materials, and negative security assurances. Her statement can also be found online in PDF and HTML.


Next meeting
The next plenary meeting is scheduled for Friday, 29 May 2009.