Third and final part of the CD's 2010 session begins with no sign of work

The third and final part of the Conference on Disarmament (CD)’s 2010 session opened on Tuesday, 10 August. Ambassador Gancho Ganev of Bulgaria, current president of the CD, opened the meeting with a report on the intercessional period. Ambassador Akio Suda of Japan delivered a statement to mark the 65th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He also commented on the current stalemate in the CD, as did the ambassadors from Cuba and Algeria.

Brief highlights
- The current CD president explained that consensus has still not been reached on a programme of work. He announced that he will hold an informal meeting to discuss the upcoming high-level meeting on the CD on 24 September.
- Japan’s ambassador argued that the consensus rule should be re-examined in order to find a way out of the CD’s deadlock.
- Cuba and Algeria’s ambassadors argued that consensus is not the problem but rather the selective and discriminatory manner in which items are determined to be “ripe” for negotiation in the CD. Both delegations urged a more comprehensive approach that moves forward simultaneously on disarmament and non-proliferation.

State of play in the CD
Ambassador Ganev of Bulgaria, current president of the CD, explained that during the intercessional period he had conducted bilateral consultations with a large number of delegations on the basis of the latest draft proposal that had been tabled by Brazil during part two of the 2010 session. He noted that he had been unable to garner consensus on a programme of work but would continue his efforts towards reaching a compromise.

Ambassador Ganev also announced that he will organize an open-ended informal meeting, open to members and observers of the Conference on Disarmament, in order to allow for an exchange of views on the upcoming high-level meeting on the CD, to be held in New York on 24 September. He explained that the organizational meeting in Geneva would not draft a final document for the 24 September meeting, but provide an opportunity for delegations to exchange views on its possible outcome. These views and ideas would be submitted to the UN Secretary-General, who could take them into consideration in drafting the final document for the 24 September meeting.

Ambassador Akio Suda of Japan expressed regret over the continued stagnation of the CD, noting that it is “betraying the great expectations of the people of the world including those who gathered in Hiroshima and Nagasaki” to mark the 65th anniversary of the US atomic bombings. He argued that the deadlock is the result of “the lack of a sound understanding of the rule of consensus”. Describing the rule of consensus as “a wisdom for building well-balanced and feasible agreements through mutual respect and mutual cooperation,” he argued that it cannot be used as a “built-in device to allow a member state to paralyze the very function of an international body.” He called for the CD to study and discuss the “most appropriate interpretation and application of the Rules of Procedure that reflects the historical development of the CD and its present situation.”

Also expressing regret about the stalemate in the CD, Ambassador Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez of Cuba suggested that the CD adopt a programme of work that takes into account all of the disarmament and arms control priorities. He emphasized that his delegation rejects the attempts by some states to ignore or minimize the relevance of nuclear disarmament and instead impose a selective, discriminatory non-proliferation approach in the CD. Among other things, he expressed concern that the current discussion of a fissile material cut-off treaty primarily involves in the interest of Western states. Ambassador Rodriguez issued his delegation’s support for the setting up of an ad-hoc committee for the negotiation of an instrument to abolish nuclear weapons.

Echoing Ambassador Suda’s comments that the CD must meet the expectations of the world’s people to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again, Ambassador Idriss Jazairy of Algeria asked whether the international community is moving forwards or backwards in fulfilling this responsibility. He argued that the problem is not consensus but rather, as Cuba’s ambassador suggested, the issue is one of selective versus comprehensive undertakings. Ambassador Jazairy argued that it is important to make progress on nuclear disarmament and not to selectively limit international efforts to various items that are of importance to one or another member.

US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Ambassador Suda of Japan noted that August 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He said these are days “for remembering the tragedies that befell these two cities and for renewing our determination to realize a world free of nuclear weapons.” He welcomed both high-level support from the UN Secretary-General but also grassroots support, noting that over one hundred hibakusha, atomic bomb survivors, came to New York in May to participate in the NPT Review Conference. Both the Cubanand Algerian ambassadors expressed their condolences to the victims of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Notes from the gallery
Civil society expectations are high for disarmament. Elites from many key governments have spoken of their interest in achieving a nuclear weapon free world and civil society has made clear demands that they follow through on their rhetoric. The month of August provided many opportunities for citizens around the world to raise their voices for the abolition of nuclear weapons. NGOs and civil society organizations held Hiroshima and Nagasaki Day events on 6 and 9 August; Mayors for Peace held a conference in late July that resulted in an appeal to governments and civil society alike; the US national youth network Think Outside the Bomb held a disarmament summer camp in New Mexico, birthplace of the US atomic bomb; the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)launched their new video petition Million Pleas campaign; and much more. All of these initiatives and appeals have made it clear that citizens are ready for the elimination of nuclear weapons and that international negotiating bodies such as the CD are going to have to get into gear on comprehensive nuclear disarmament now.

Next meeting
The next CD meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 17 August at 10:00 AM.