5 February 2008

Secretary of Defence for the United Kingdom, Des Brown, addressed the Conference on Disarmament (CD) this morning, putting forward a proposal on verification for nuclear disarmament and outlining the UK's position on several key issues facing the CD. The plenary also heard from representatives of Switzerland, Iran, Germany, Norway, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, and from the CD Secretary General, Sergei Ordzhonikidze.

Acknowledging that "it is rare for a defence Minister to address a conference on disarmament," Mr. Brown explained the UK wanted to send "a strong message about the priority" it gives to disarmament commitments.

Touching briefly on the issue of conventional weapons, Mr. Brown highlighted the UK's support of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Arms Trade Treaty initiative. He also indicated his commitment to "securing an international instrument that bans those cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians." He explained that he withdrew from service two types of cluster munitions last year, and has been meeting with NGOs and diplomats to discuss addressing cluster munitions through the Oslo Process and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

Mr. Brown's statement focused on nuclear issues, however, emphasizing, "if we are serious about doing our bit to create the conditions for complete nuclear disarmament, we must now also begin to build deeper technical relationships on disarmament between nuclear states." He announced that the UK is willing to "host a technical conference of P5 nuclear laboratories on the verification of nuclear disarmament before the next NPT Review Conference in 2010," to "reinforce a process of mutual confidence building."

He highlighted a technical cooperation initiative that the UK's Atomic Weapons Establishment has developed in conjunction with several Norwegian defence laboratories and stated his wish to see the UK as "a role model and testing ground for measures that we and others can take on key aspect of disarmament. In particular, measures needed to determine the requirements for the verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons." This is not the first foray that the UK government has made into verification research, as it once conducted a three-part study that looked at the authentication of warheads and their components, and verification technologies and their potential uses in warhead dismantlement, the final results of which were presented at the 2005 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

Mr. Brown acknowledged cuts to warheads and stocks by Russia, the United States, the UK, and France, and urged increased transparency of these reductions. He also welcomed the "ongoing bilateral discussions between Russia and the United States for a follow-on arrangement" to START. He also emphasized the relationship between disarmament and non-proliferation, arguing, "Although, we all understand that there is no formal conditionality between progress on disarmament and non-proliferation, our goal should be a virtuous circle, where progress on one reinforces the other." Ambassador Bente Angell-Hansen of Norway agreed with this assessment, saying, "substantial progress on disarmament is vital to ensure further progress on non-proliferation as well."

Mr. Brown also argued that securing a fissile materials cut-off treaty (FMCT) is "a key milestone towards building this climate for disarmament," and said he would like to see "political commitment transformed into a legal one through a treaty." Switzerland's Ambassador Jürg Streuli echoed this view, stating that "such a mandate is of the utmost importance" and is the issue that is the "most ripe for negotiation". The representatives of Norway and Germany agreed, with Germany's Ambassador Bernhard Brasack arguing that the decision to start negotiations must be the "clear goal this year" and "an opportunity and priority that waits to be seized as the next logical step after the CTBT," and Norway's Ambassador Angell-Hansen advocating that governments "put short term security considerations aside and embark on a joint mission so that we can turn back the hand of the Doomsday Clock." Ambassador Masood Khan of Pakistan, however, indicated that any mandate to negotiate a fissile materials treaty must include discussion on the scope of the possible treaty, and the ability to talk about existing fissile materials stocks.

Regarding the Conference's work more generally, Iran's Ambassador Ali Reza Moaiyeri argued, "the efforts to resume the work of the CD on one priority should not be done at the cost of the others," pointing out, "There are different proposals from the previous years," which "are important and can be helpful in our collective endeavours." Germany's Ambassador Brasack remarked, "our key task is to ensure security on the basis of jointly defined global norms and through cooperation rather than isolation and confrontation. Today, more than ever, our maxim must be: security is indivisible."

Referring to the NPT as "more than a mere instrument for combating proliferation," Ambassador Brasack argued, "the possession of nuclear weapons by states outside the NPT risks undermining all non-proliferation and disarmament efforts," and called on states not yet party to the NPT to "accede unconditionally to the NPT." Ambassador Brasack also expressed his concern "that even some members of the NPT have given reason for doubts as to their commitment to the NPT," and his regret that the Review Conference of the NPT in 2005 "was unable to agree on "a substantive final document." He said he hopes the second Preparatory Committee in April–May 2008 will "jumpstart into substantial discussions and proposals without any delay."

For the first time this year, Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary General of the CD, took the floor. He discussed the democratic nature of the UN and recalled the true goals of the CD, stating that "consensus is good, but it is not our final end. Our final end is strategic disarmament."

It is obvious that the Conference has not arrived at a consensus for a programme of work, however, the President, Ambassador Samir Labidi of Tunisia, stated that it should not prevent the Conference from continuing its work to "narrow differences". He also announced the seven coordinators* to lead discussion and debates on the agenda items in informal sessions. The Conference also saw the inclusion of Denmark as an observer.

The next plenary meeting will be on Thursday, 7 February at 11am and will include an address by Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration of the United States, Thomas D'Agostino.

-Sandra Fong, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
-Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will

*As previously reported, the seven coordinators for 2008 are:
Ambassador Juan Martabit of Chile for agenda items 1 & 2, with a focus on the prevention of nuclear war;
Ambassador Sumio Tarui of Japan for agenda items 1 & 2, with a focus on a fissile materials treaty;
Ambassador Marius Grinius of Canada for agenda item 3, prevention of an arms race in outer space;
Ambassador Moussa Bocar Ly of Senegal for agenda item 4, negative security assurances;
Ambassador Petko Draganov of Bulgaria for agenda item 5, new types and systems of weapons of mass destruction and radiological weapons;
Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka of Sri Lanka for agenda item 6, comprehensive programme of disarmament, and;
Ambassador Mr. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja of Indonesia for agenda item 7, transparency in armaments.