Transparency in armaments—and in the CD

Gabriella Irsten | Reaching Critical Will of WILPF
24 May 2013

The Conference on Disarmament (CD) met on Friday, 24 May to focus on agenda item 7, transparency in armaments. The topic of revitalizing the CD, however, commanded more attention. The CD President together with the delegations of Switzerland, Germany, Australia, United States, New Zealand, Spain, and Iran took the floor.

Revitalizing the CD

The outgoing CD president, Ambassador Triyono Wibowo of Indonesia, opened the plenary by giving a short summary of the seminar addressing the stalemate in the CD, hosted by the Indonesian delegation and United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The seminar concluded that new approaches need to be consider in order to overcome the stalemate in the CD. The majority of participants agreed that the CD should address its working methods, membership, and agenda in order to move forward. Ambassador Higgie from New Zealand echoed this recommendation in her remarks, arguing that the CD’s participation and processes should reflect 21st century realities. She expressed hope that the CD will move away from last year’s theological debates and agree upon renewed rules of procedure so that the views of the minority can no longer stop the will to proceed by the majority.

Ambassador Schmid of Switzerland agreed that new working methods need to be considered, as the working procedures in the CD should help member states to reach consensus and not the opposite. Ambassador Schmid continued in stating that the increased focus on revitalization of the disarmament machinery and developing a fissile materials treaty indicates that these subjects are too important to not find an answer. He suggested that more plenaries be dedicated to the issue of revitalization of the CD in a structured process. Ambassador Schmid reminded the CD that this would not be the first time the CD has dealt with its procedural manners in order to proceed in work. In the late 1980s, such a process was conducted to improve the CD’s effectiveness and resulted in CD/1036, which in a number of ways changed the procedures of the CD.

Ambassador Laura Kennedy of the US said that the CD “should usefully pause at this next juncture in order to reflect on why and what can be done in [the] future.” She continued in stating that the US still believes that CD/1864 is still the “touchstone for a balanced and comprehensive approach.”

In his closing remarks, CD president Triyono Wibowo explained that he conducted intensive consultations with almost all member states in order to break the CD impasse. Although he tried his utmost to find a middle ground between the different priorities of member states, he admitted that consensus in the CD is a long way off. While many delegations showed flexibility, others made it clear that it will be difficult to reach consensus on certain language. His own analysis is that the CD’s root problems lie in the political environment in which it acts.

Germany’s Ambassador Hoffmann said that a “characteristic feature of the CD lies in the fact that reservations about particular elements of draft programmes of work are as a rule brought forward only in private consultations,” which is the exact opposite of the transparent procedures he and many others would like to see. In an effort to gain a clearer picture of the current situation in the CD, he asked if there were any other delagations rejecting any aspects of the draft programme of work, apart from the one known delegation rejecting the reference to CD/1299. Ambassador Wibowo answered that while there is one delegation that cannot accept the reference to document CD/1299 (the Shannon mandate) in the draft programme of work, there are also others that are unable to accept other proposed new language, particularly in relation to working groups one and two.

Agenda item 7: transparency in armaments

The Australia ambassador pointed to the recent conclusion of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) as a successful tool in increasing transparency in arms control and urged all states “to sign the Treaty on 3 June when it opens for signature in New York or as earliest possible thereafter.”

He expressed that the treaty is strong on paper but it is now that the hard work begins on implementation. Ambassador Higgie of New Zealand said the ATT will help make the global arms trade more responsible and will “turn off the tap” of the uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons (SALW) that have fuelled conflicts in many part of the world.

Next plenary meeting

The next plenary meeting will be held on Tuesday, 28 May at 10:00 in the Council Chamber, were Ambassador Mohsen Naziri Asl of Iran will take over the Presidency.