March 31, 2005

Another session of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) has come and gone and, despite the immense pressure of the looming Review Conference of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the 66-member Conference failed to adopt a program of work or make substantive progress in disarmament and nonproliferation.

Under the rotating Presidency of Nigeria, the final CD session heard statements from Japan, the New Agenda Coalition, Mexico and the United Kingdom. All statements are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches05/index.html.

Japan's Ambassador Mine suggested, "that the term of the CD presidency," which lasts four weeks and rotates alphabetically, "is too short to ensure consistency and integrity" and recommended "therefore, that it be extended." Such a re-structuring of the rules of procedure could help address "an institutional deficit of the CD," which has been unable to agree on a program of work since it concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty eight years ago.

Ambassador Mine recognized what he views as "a strong momentum in the CD" toward reaching agreement on an agenda. "It is the responsibility of the CD members," he concluded, "to keep the momentum to initiate substantial work in the CD".

New Zealand's Ambassador Tim Caughley, speaking on behalf of the New Agenda Coalition (NAC), expressed grave disappointment in yet another failed CD session, which has "not only harmed the credibility of the Conference on Disarmament but (has) done nothing to strengthen the Non-Proliferation Treaty itself."

Ambassador Caughley reminded the Conference that the CD was charged by the 2000 and 1995 NPT Review Conferences to conclude negotiations on a verifiable treaty halting the production of fissile material (Fissile Materials Treaty, or FMT). "Each unfulfilled agreement and undertaking reached at Review Conferences," he warned, "merely serves to diminish the Treaty, not strengthen it."

He recalled the "broad support" for General Assembly resolution 59/75, sponsored by the NAC, which "surely demonstrates increased impatience and dissatisfaction" with nuclear disarmament commitments and the "efforts by several of the nuclear weapon States to renege from the agreed practical steps" contained in the 2000 Final Document. These "attempts to downplay or undercut the 2000 outcome serve only to draw attention to nuclear disarmament and away from nonproliferation."

While attention must surely be paid to nonproliferation and nuclear energy, the other two pillars of the treaty, the NAC insisted that "the focus" of the 2005 Review Conference "must be on systematic and progressive efforts to implement the obligation in Article VI" relating to nuclear disarmament. The NAC, he forewarned, "will not accept the mere reiteration of solemn undertakings entered into at past Review Conferences (that are) left unfulfilled."

The NAC also drew attention to the recent report, "In Larger Freedom," wherein the Secretary-General asserted that "the unique status of the nuclear weapon States also entails a unique resonsibility, and they must do more, including but not limited to further reductions in their arsenals and pursuing arms control agreements that entail not just dismantlement but irreversibility."

(Reaching Critical Will offers an analysis of the High-Level Panel report, "A More Secure World," upon which the Secretary-General's report is largely based.)

In this vein, and in correspondance with GA resolution 59/75, the NAC "will press for practical implementation of existing obligations and undertakings, including the universalization of the Treaty... and will insist on further reductions in the strategic and non-strategic nuclear arsenals and the operalization of steps agreed upon." He maintained that in order "to gain the confidence of the international community," these further reductions "must incorporate the essential elements of irreversibility, verification and transparency."

Mexico's Ambassador Macedo briefly discussed the upcoming Conference of States Parties and Signatories to Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ) treaties, to be held in Mexico City April 26-28. This meeting seeks to strengthen effectiveness of existing NWFZs as well as to "contribute to the success" of the NPT Review Conference. Mexico remains "convinced that the establishment of new zones, including the consolidation of existing zones, constitute an invaluable contribution to international peace and security as well as to the cause of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation."

In the spirit of interactivity, the UK's Ambassador Freeman associated his country with the remarks of Japan, which offered "a right perspective" on the CD. Like Japan, the UK finds "some positive evolution" and "a recognition of the possible" through the work of the past CD Presidents from New Zealand and Netherlands, and he has faith in the diplomatic skills of Nigeria's Ambassador Ayelogu to build on this momentum.

For his part, Ambassador Ayelogu recognized the work that he must undertake these next few weeks before the Review Conference: "the intersessional period," he sighed, "is not a holiday for the President."

Nor should it be for any other CD Member or NPT State party, who have but one month before the start of the NPT Review Conference and many issues- procedural as well as substantive- upon which to reach agreement.

The CD Report will be suspended until the start of the second CD session, scheduled to resume June 2. In the meanwhile, be sure to follow the NPT negotiations through a subscription to the News in Review, the daily newsletter from Reaching Critical Will reporting from the Conference, including updates on the Main Committees, NGO side events, interviews with diplomats and much more. The NIR is distributed each day to all NPT participants and is available in PDF format through a free subscription service. To subscribe, fill out the form at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/action/joinlistform.html