Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

NEW ZEALAND

ON BEHALF OF THE NEW AGENDA COALITION

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE 2010 REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE TREATY ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

CLUSTER ONE

STATEMENT BY H.E. DON MACKAY
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN GENEVA

30 April 2008

AS DELIVERED

Mr Chairperson,

1 I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the delegations of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden, members of the New Agenda Coalition.

2 The New Agenda Coalition submitted a working paper to the First Preparatory Committee (NPT.CONF.2010/PC.1/WP.15), which identified seven areas as requiring urgent attention during the current review cycle. Those areas were universality, nuclear doctrines, reductions in nuclear forces, security assurances, nuclear-weapon-free zones, negotiation of a treaty on fissile material, and a prohibition on the testing of nuclear weapons. Building upon the elements developed in that paper, the New Agenda Coalition will submit a further working paper on transparency and confidence-building to this Preparatory Committee which contains additional reflections on ways forward for nuclear disarmament work during the current review cycle. This most recent paper does not affect the status of NPT.CONF.2010/PC.1/WP.15, which remains current. I commend both documents to delegations’ attention.

Mr Chairperson,

3 One of the key areas discussed during debates on nuclear disarmament over the past year has been that of transparency and confidence-building. The New Agenda Coalition was pleased that an initiative for greater transparency in the form of nuclear accounting received good support in discussions during the first NPT Preparatory Committee and the United Nations General Assembly, and considers that there would be significant merit in pursuing progress on this initiative in the lead-up to the 2010 Review Conference.

4 A reporting mechanism for national arsenals would be a substantive confidence building measure if nuclear-weapon States were to provide further clarity as to the current status of their holdings, as well as future plans for down-sizing and the reduction of reliance on nuclear weapons in national and regional security doctrines. It would also give confidence to non-nuclear-weapon States that expanded roles for nuclear weapons in security doctrines are not being developed.

5 In addition to steps taken by the nuclear-weapon States with respect to their individual arsenals, it would also be a significant transparency and confidence-building measure if those non-nuclear-weapon States that are part of regional alliances which include nuclear-weapon States could report on steps taken, or future steps planned, to reduce and eliminate the role for nuclear weapons in collective security doctrines.

6 The New Agenda Coalition welcomes efforts towards greater transparency undertaken by nuclear weapon states over 2007. Clarity on the exact numbers of warheads remaining in national arsenals, and the steps being taken to further reduce these numbers from all nuclear weapon States would make a significant contribution to reassuring non-nuclear weapon States that good faith effective measures for the elimination of nuclear arsenals are being pursued.

7 New signs of dialogue and engagement between the nuclear weapon States themselves have also been welcome. The New Agenda Coalition encourages nuclear-weapon States to maximise opportunities, such as the proposed UK-led meeting to discuss verification of nuclear disarmament measures, to make concrete progress towards the fulfilment of Article VI commitments in advance of the 2010 Review Conference.

8 The New Agenda Coalition also welcomes the widespread support demonstrated in 2007 for the taking of further practical steps to decrease the operational readiness of nuclear weapons systems, with a view to ensuring that all nuclear weapons are removed from high alert status. Reductions in deployments and the lowering of nuclear weapons systems operational status contribute to nuclear disarmament through the enhancement of confidence-building and transparency measures and reinforce a diminishing role for nuclear weapons in security policies.

9 The New Agenda Coalition welcomes the reference made in the US-Russia Strategic Framework Declaration of 6 April that the US and Russia will continue the development of a legally binding post-START arrangement. The Coalition strongly encourages the conclusion of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and Russia by next year since the present START Treaty is due to expire before the 2010 NPT Review Conference. Such a treaty should include all nuclear weapons: strategic and non-strategic. Reductions by the two nuclear weapon States which possess over 90% of the global arsenal of nuclear weapons would represent a significant measure which would increase international confidence and encourage greater transparency as well as further cuts by other nuclear-weapon States.

10 In accordance with its total opposition to nuclear test explosions and all other nuclear explosions, the New Agenda Coalition welcomes the progress made on ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) through the accession of Malaysia and Colombia during 2008. We continue to underline the importance of the early entry into force of the CTBT. Pending the achievement of this, the New Agenda Coalition calls upon all States to uphold and maintain a moratorium on nuclear weapon text explosions and any other nuclear explosions.

11 The New Agenda Coalition reiterates the great importance it attaches to the outcomes of previous Review Conferences of the NPT and in particular the package of Decisions and Resolution agreed upon at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference as well as the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference. The New Agenda Coalition considers that previous commitments freely agreed upon by consensus in past Review Conferences are an integral part of the NPT. States Parties need to take concrete steps to ensure the full implementation of these commitments and obligations.

12 Decision 1 of the 1995 NPT Review Conference Package of Decisions entitled Strengthening the Review Process of the Treaty clearly underlines the importance of Review Conferences in terms of strengthening the Treaty and achieving its universality. Decision 2, entitled Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, also contains a series of important elements necessary to ensure the Treaty’s effective implementation.

13 Nuclear-weapon-free zones remain an important demonstration of the international community’s resolve to eliminate nuclear weapons from our world. The New Agenda Coalition welcomes the ratifications from Rwanda and Gabon in 2007 and Mozambique in 2008, of the Treaty of Pelindaba, and believes that these steps will create additional momentum towards that Treaty’s entry into force.

14 The New Agenda Coalition notes that, despite the adoption of the Resolution on the Middle East as an integral part of the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference outcome, no progress has been achieved in the establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone in that region. The Coalition renews its support for the implementation of that resolution in its entirety.

15 It also remains important to promote greater cooperation and consultation mechanisms among the existing nuclear-weapon-free-zones. The NAC therefore supports efforts to promote the convening of a Second nuclear-weapon-free-zone Conference, as a contribution to the Review Conference of the NPT.