REPRESENTATIVE OF SPAIN BIDS FAREWELL TO CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
Mongolia Assesses the Situation in the Conference at the End of its Presidency

The Conference on Disarmament today heard a farewell speech from the Ambassador of Spain and a statement from Mongolia as it concluded its four-week presidency of the body.

Ambassador Carlos Miranda of Spain, the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Spain’s Ambassador to the Conference, said he regretted leaving the Conference because it had been a very instructive privilege to deal with security and disarmament issues for the almost three years that he had spent in Geneva. The human and professional quality of the members of the Conference had doubtlessly mitigated the pain he felt in seeing how the Conference continued to sink in what was apparently an irreversible coma despite efforts to revive it. He hoped that the efforts being made to reactivate it would prosper. Those who were trying to thwart this objective were mistaken because security was not individual but collective, and the Conference could enhance this collective security.

Suren Badral of Mongolia, acting President of the Conference, said Ambassador Miranda had joined the Conference in 2001, and during that period, he had represented his Government with remarkable authority, diplomatic skill and elegance. He had always been actively engaged in the efforts to revitalize the Conference.

Mr. Badral, speaking on behalf of Ambassador Khasbazaryn Bekhbat, said that during the four weeks of Mongolia’s presidency, his Ambassador had intensified consultations with most of his colleagues and these had been excellent opportunities and thought-provoking exercises. The most useful had been in the informal plenaries. This new initiative launched and realized by a number of successive Ambassadors had become a serious confidence-building exercise. The Conference had not seen such focused deliberations since 1998. Altogether, the Conference had made the right step forward. Yet the international community demanded much more from the Conference.

During the meeting, the Conference decided to accept Lebanon’s request to participate in its 2004 session as an observer State.

The plenary was immediately followed by an informal plenary during which the Conference intended to discuss the sixth item on its agenda: a comprehensive plan on disarmament.

The next plenary of the Conference will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 24 June. It will be followed by an informal plenary to discuss item seven on the agenda of the Conference: transparency in disarmament.

Statements

SUREN BADRAL (Mongolia), acting President of the Conference, bid farewell on behalf of Ambassador Khasbazaryn Bekhbat to Ambassador Carlos Miranda of Spain who would soon be leaving Geneva. He said that Ambassador Miranda had joined the Conference in 2001 and during that period he had represented his Government with remarkable authority, diplomatic skill and elegance. Ambassador Miranda had always been actively engaged in the efforts to revitalize the Conference. On behalf of the Conference and on his own behalf, he wished Ambassador Miranda and his family much success and happiness for the future.

CARLOS MIRANDA (Spain) said in a farewell statement that as he attended his last formal plenary at the Conference before leaving for another assignment, he had mixed feelings. He was very pleased with his new assignment, but was also sad to be leaving Geneva, Switzerland and the Conference. He regretted leaving the Conference, not because he was a cynic or a masochist, but because it had been a very instructive privilege to deal with security and disarmament issues for the almost three years that he had spent here. The human and professional quality of the members of the Conference had doubtlessly mitigated the pain he felt in seeing how the Conference continued to sink in what was apparently an irreversible coma despite efforts to revive it. He would remember with nostalgia that he had worked at the Conference, and the friends that he was leaving here. As for the Conference, he hoped that the efforts being made to reactivate it would prosper. Those who were trying to thwart this objective were mistaken because security was not individual but collective, and the Conference could enhance this collective security.

Ambassador Miranda said that Spain had worked over the years with a sincere desire to activate the Conference, and it had supported the proposals of the Five Ambassadors. These efforts would continue. The informal plenaries had been very useful and he hoped that this effort would be compensated and rewarded by more movement on certain items. In the first half of 2002, he had intervened on behalf of the European Union. The European Union had just expanded and was embarking on a new phase. A solid and unified European Union which could enhance its competencies would be a very important contribution for peace in Europe and around the world. As for the Conference, he regretted that he had not seen all efforts crowned by success but hoped that this would be the case in the future.

SUREN BADRAL (Mongolia), acting President of the Conference, said that since this was the last plenary under Mongolia’s presidency, he wished his successor Ambassador Omar Hilale of Morocco his best wishes. On behalf of Ambassador Khasbazaryn Bekhbat, he wished to make a general statement. During the four weeks of Mongolia’s presidency, his Ambassador had intensified consultations with most of his colleagues and these had been excellent opportunities and thought-provoking exercises. His Ambassador thanked all the delegations for the exchange of views. The most useful had been in the informal plenaries. This new initiative launched and realized by a number of successive Ambassadors had become a serious confidence-building exercise. The Conference had not seen such focused deliberations since 1998. The Ambassador of Malaysia had said on 11 March that “I discovered to my horror that there was a lot of mistrust and misunderstanding.” Now, after six informal plenaries including the one to be held today, the Conference found itself in a more relaxed mood, and the horror had disappeared. Conference Member States knew better what was happening and what were the new priorities of disarmament policies. A new element was also introduced when the Conference heard the well-documented opinion of an Expert, which had been a fresh breath which he hoped would improve the health of the Conference.

Mr. Badral said that altogether, the Conference had made the right step forward. Yet the international community demanded much more from the Conference. The current situation had become more alarming. Ambassador Miranda had said the Conference was slipping into an irreversible coma, but he still hoped that the Conference might heal. The role of the Conference had become more pertinent than ever before. The world was at a crossroads where it had to choose either one powerful leader or to strengthen multilateral means. Maybe the five Ambassadors who had worked on the A5 proposal should work together to reflect and analyze what had taken place since their proposal was announced, and they might come up with a new approach. It could even be called the M5 initiative as the names of all the countries which had recently held the presidency started with an M. The M5 initiative could add new initiative to the A5 proposal.

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