23 March 2006

Ambassador Doru Costea of Romania took over the rotating Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) at the plenary meeting 23 March. In line with the timetable introduced earlier this year, debates will continue on Agenda Items 1 and 2 with special focus on aFissile Materials Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). The United Kingdom, Romania, Netherlands and Canada made statements, largely related to the upcoming discussion on an FMCT. The Secretariat distributed a paper compiling documents relevant to the issue of Fissile Materials.

An indicative calendar outlining the issues to be discussed during the Romanian Presidency has been given to delegations through the Regional Groups, but was not announced in today's plenary. During the week of focused debate on an FMCT (15-19 May), five main issues will be examined: definitions; scope; stocks; verification; and compliance. It is currently unclear as to whether these debates will take place in formal or informal settings. Ambassador Costea again encouraged delegations to bring experts from capitals and to "propose side-events, eventually in joint cooperation with the non-governmental organizations."

Dr. Kim Howells, Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, spoke about proliferation, underscoring the need his government sees for strong and comprehensive export controls of nuclear supplies and technology. "In cases where illicit transport of such goods is already in progress, we believe that interdiction under the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) will continue to have an important role to play", he stated.

In relation to the "prospect and growing threat of nuclear terrorism" the Minister expressed his government's active work to insure the renewal of the mandate for the Security Council Resolution 1540 Committee, maintaining the UK continues "to stand ready to the obligations contained within the resolution and to help others to do so". Paul Meyer, Ambassador of Canada, also remarked on progress in disarmament and non-proliferation taking place outside the CD, but focused on treaty mechanisms, pointing out Vietnam's recent ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

On 22 March, the UK published a historical accounting report on Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) in the UK defense nuclear programs. In 2000, a similar report on Plutonium holdings was published. Reports like these are welcome contributions to increase transparency and confidence among States.

In his statement as incoming President, Ambassador Costea acknowledged that the plenary meeting of 23 March took place on the 11th Anniversary of the Shannon Report. The Shannon Mandate, establishing an Ad Hoc Committee on an FMCT, was agreed by consensus a decade ago. Unfortunately, the late Ambassador Shannon of Canada never had the chance to see his mandate and report bear fruit in the form of a "non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices" in the CD.

Ambassador Landman of the Netherlands pointed out readiness in the CD to commence negotiations on an FMCT, and held that solutions to different views should be found in the course of negotiations. The main purpose of an FMCT, he said, is "that no Highly Enriched Uranium and Plutonium is being produced anymore for use in nuclear weapons", implying the end of "all military enrichments, processing and production activities". The Netherlands sees safe storage and solid accounting of fissile materials to prevent proliferation of nuclear material as a second goal of an FMCT.

Ambassador Costea drew attention to a fragment of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Alice, at the crossroads, asks the Cheshire Cat, "Where do I go from here?" to which the feline replies, "Well, it all depends where you are trying to get! Do you know where you want to go?". Alice answers, "I guess I don't really care." The cat then replies, "Well, if you don't really care, it doesn't really matter which way you go."

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom welcome Ambassador Costea and his delegation to the Presidency, and join the Ambassador as he wishes he was "not the Cheshire Cat in as much as I wish the members of the Conference were not Alice."

Alex Sundberg, 
Disarmament Intern 
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom