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A “new multilateralism” toward a programme of work

During the first plenary meeting of the second part of the Conference on Disarmament’s 2009 session, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the Conference, as did Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey and Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci. In addition, the current president of the CD, Ambassador Idriss Jazaïry, formally submitted CD/1863, a new proposed programme of work on behalf of the six presidents.

Brief highlights

CD/1863, the new proposed programme of work, differs substantially from the 2008 and 2007 proposals. It establishes working groups on the four core issues and special coordinators on the other three agenda items. It calls, inter alia, for negotiation of a fissile materials treaty on the basis of the 1995 Shannon Mandate, for recommendations for dealing with negative security assurances, and for an “exchange of views and information on practical steps for progressive and systematic efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of their elimination, including on approaches toward potential future work of multilateral character.”

Three high-level speakers, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Swiss and Algerian foreign ministers, urged the CD to rapidly adopt CD/1863 as its programme of work for the year. Current CD president Ambassador Jazaïry expressed hope that the programme would extend beyond the current year.

Cooperation is consensus
Citing the “refreshingly positive tone” of the recently concluded nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee and the recent announcements of the US and Russian presidents to begin talks on a new nuclear arms control treaty, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged a “new multilateralism.” He explained, “We live in an age of interdependence,” and argued that the answers to the multiplicity of global crises—food, energy, climate, economic—“lie in a new multilateralism.... where cooperation replaces confrontation, where creativity replaces stalemate.” He emphasized that any bilateral efforts “must feed into a broader multilateral framework” in order to ensure the process for disarmament is “sustainable and lasting”. He also called for “bold action” to accelerate disarmament to “liberate resources that we need to combat climate change, address food insecurity and achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” stressing that the world expects the CD to “channel” positive signals for disarmament and multilateralism “into a coherent global strategy.”

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey agreed with the UN Secretary-General that this is a time of hope for the CD, attributing it to an “alignment of geopolitical stars”. She noted that the six presidents this year have played a crucial role in advancing the work of the Conference with their proposed programme of work and urged the CD to rapidly adopt CD/1863. Noting that true international security can only be the product of mutual confidence between partners working together for disarmament, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelcisaid that the adoption of the programme of work would be the product of such efforts by CD member states.

CD/1863
Described by the UN Secretary-General as a “document that can achieve consensus and that addresses all substantive and procedural issues,” CD/1863 differs substantially from the other recent iterations of a proposed programme work, CD/1840 (2008) and L.1 + CRP.5(2007). CD/1863 establishes working groups, rather than special coordinators, on each of the four core issues. The goals and substance of each of the working groups is also quite different from that laid out under the coordinators.

While CD/1840 called for “substantive discussions on nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war,” CD/1863 specifies that working group one will “exchange views and information on practical steps for progressive and systematic efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of their elimination, including on approaches toward potential future work of multilateral character.”

In CD/1863, working group two “shall negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other explosive devices, on the basis of the document CD/1299 of 24 March 1995 and the mandate contained wherein.” [Emphasis mine]

Working group three is charged with discussing “substantively, without limitations, all issues related to the prevention of an arms race in outer space,” adding only “without limitations” to CD/1840’s instructions.

The fourth working group also calls for substantive discussions, “without limitation,” on the issue of negative security assurances “with a view to elaborating recommendations dealing with all aspects of this agenda item, not excluding those related to an international legally binding instrument.” Compare this to CD/1840, which simply called for “substantive discussions dealing with appropriate arrangements” related to this issue.

CD/1863 goes on to call for special coordinators on other items on the CD’s agenda, including “new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons;” “comprehensive programme of disarmament;” and “transparency in armaments,” with instructions to “seek the views of its member states on the most appropriate way to deal with the questions related to [these] items” (a qualification not provided in CD/1840).

The four working groups and three special coordinators are instructed to “take into consideration all relevant views and proposals past, present and future” and to present reports on their work before the end of the current session.

Notes from the gallery
Coming merely a few days after the qualified success of the third nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee for the 2010 review cycle, the introduction of a more balanced programme of work for the CD not only maintains the positive spirit but increases its momentum. The call for fissile material treaty negotiations on the basis of the Shannon Mandate, while effectively winding back the clock almost fifteen years, is a substantial step forward from other recent attempts to formulate a programme of work. In addition, the significantly enhanced mandates for discussions on nuclear disarmament and negative security assurances are progressively forward-looking and will surely go a long way to alleviating non-nuclear weapon states’ concerns about the imbalanced nature of previous proposed programmes of work.

Consensus is near. Current president Ambassador Jazaïry noted that consultations are still ongoing, but the majority of delegations seem to assume that CD/1863 will be adopted very soon. After twelve years without substantive work and ten years without even a programme of work, the adoption of this document cannot come a moment too soon. Ambassador Jazaïry expressed hope that, if adopted, CD/1863 would extend beyond the current year, providing a framework for future negotiations. This is particularly important since most CD member states do not currently have the capacity at their Geneva missions to engage in negotiations. It would likely take until the beginning of the CD’s 2010 session before working group two could seriously get to work. Hopefully, the Conference will not have to worry about developing a new programme of work at that time but can rely on CD/1863 to carry forward the momentum.

Other business
The CD granted observer status for the 2009 session to Lebanon. The next CD plenary meeting is scheduled for Friday, 22 May 2009.

- Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will of WILPF