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International Women's Day and the introduction of a draft programme of work

Beatrice Fihn | Reaching Critical Will of WILPF

During its 1077th plenary meeting, the Conference on Disarmament (CD) heard for the first time a statement read out by an NGO in a formal plenary. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom delivered this statement on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The delegations of Croatia, the Russian Federation, and Pakistan welcomed the statement. The CD President, Ambassador Khvostov of Belarus, officially tabled a draft programme of work for the 2010 session, which the ambassador of Pakistan remarked upon.

Highlights
- The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) delivered a statement in a formal plenary meeting for the first time in the CD’s history.
- The President of the CD, Ambassador Khvostov of Belarus, tabled a draft programme of work for the CD to consider.
- Ambassador Akram of Pakistan argued that the draft programme of work did not have consensus and did not take into consideration the views of G21.
- The Russian delegation celebrated International Women’s Day by handing out flowers to all women in the room.

International Women’s Day
WILPF’s statement to the CD, read out by the project associate of Reaching Critical Will, Ms. Beatrice Fihn, emphasized women’s role in peace, security, and disarmament. The statement tied UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to the work of the CD and to nuclear disarmament in general. WILPF argued that consideration of gender issues and gender analysis is needed to reform traditional behaviours and values expressed in negotiations on nuclear weapons. The statement also questioned the efficiency of nuclear weapons to bring true security to human beings all over the world, arguing that such weapons are unable to adequately deal with the most pressing threats we face today, such as climate change, terrorism, food, water and energy shortages, and global economic disparity. Therefore, the economic, political and human resources that are put in to these weapons could be better used for efforts to combat more pressing global threats.

The delegations of Croatia, the Russian Federation, and Pakistan welcomed the statement. Ms. Danijela Zunec Brandt from Croatia agreed that UN Security Council Resolution 1325 is an important document and argued that in line with this resolution, WILPF has not only advanced the role of civil society in the CD, but equally so the role of women in the area of disarmament, peace, and security. The Russian delegation echoed its statement from last week and distributed flowers to all the women on the floor in the CD chamber.

A draft programme of work
After circulating an informal draft programme of work two weeks ago, the CD President presented a formal draft programme today. The draft is based on the informal document and establishes identical working groups as in the programme of work from the 2009 session,CD/1864. Ambassador Khvostov said, “it is not an ideal document, but it is a proposal,” and argued that it is a constructive way of reanimating the Conference and giving it new impetus. He indicated that rather than discussing the document today, he would let delegations familiarize themselves with the draft and consult with their capitals.

However, Pakistan’s Ambassador Akram took the floor, arguing that the draft proposal is mainly a copy of CD/1864 and that since this document no longer had consensus, Ambassador Akram wondered why the President had tabled such document. He further stated that the proposal is neither balanced nor comprehensive, and that it does not take into account the views and suggestions from Pakistan and G21. Such proposals have included suggestions “to establish an ad hoc committee for deeper negotiations on nuclear disarmament which is the raison d’être of the Conference,” or to “undertake substantive work on measures to reduce the risks of unintentional and accidental use of nuclear weapons, including through de-alerting and de-targeting of nuclear weapons.”

Ambassador Akram continued his critique of the draft proposal by arguing that it mixes issues of the programme of work and its implementation, which his delegation thinks should be dealt with separately. He finished his intervention by reiterating his delegation’s view that “the nuclear cooperation agreement signed by the nuclear weapons states has rendered the FMCT ineffective even before the commencement of its negotiations,” and that the CD must not be held hostage or hijacked by the FMCT issue.

Notes from the floor
It was a welcome change to be able to interact with delegations directly on the floor of the Council Chamber today. The physical distance between the floor and the gallery does have a negative impact on our opportunities to share views and opinions with the members of the CD. While the decision to let us speak today was taken without setting a precedent for the future, we hope that civil society will have more opportunities to participate directly in the work of the CD.

The draft programme of work circulated today is indeed a very similar document to CD/1864. While some delegations criticize this, it is impossible to ignore the fact that only 10 months ago, this document had consensus in the CD. While civil society shares Pakistan’s concerns about the US-India nuclear deal and subsequent Nuclear Suppliers Group exemptions for trade with India, Reaching Critical Will believes that these events make it even more important to conclude a treaty than bans the production of fissile material for weapons purposes. In a world where nuclear energy is promoted as a solution to threatening climate change, we must be aware of the link between nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Governments and industry should refrain from promoting nuclear power as a mean to combat climate change, but in the meantime, it is crucial to conclude a comprehensive and verifiable fissile material treaty that includes a provision for existing stocks. We urge all delegations to refrain from letting the CD remain in deadlock, since continued stalemate will not further nuclear disarmament or international security in any way.

Next plenary meeting
The next plenary meeting will be held on Thursday, 11 March at 10:00 AM.