CD Advisories 2004

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First Session

February 2

The Conference on Disarmament’s 2004 session opened in Geneva on January 20th. Kenya holds the presidency with Ambassador Amina Mohamed presiding. She is the second consecutive female CD president, taking up the arduous task after Japan’s Ambassador Kuniko Inoguchi.

In addition to adopting by consensus its agenda for the 2004 session (document CD/WP.533) and approving the requests from Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece and Jordan to join the work of the Conference as non-members, the Conference also heard a statement from Syria’s Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe on its opening day.

Invoking the recent GA resolution 58 of December 2003, Ambassador Wehbe reiterated the call for a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ) in the Middle East. He also reiterated the widely held desire for a binding instrument for Negative Security Assurances (NSAs) for Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS).

It is hoped that if the long-idle CD begins substantive work this year, it will begin negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty. One of the longstanding points of contention on an FMCT is the issue of “existing stocks.” Some States, mainly Nuclear Weapon States (NWS), believe that any treaty that works to ban fissile materials should first concentrate on halting their future production. In the words of U.K. Ambassador David Broucher, we must “first shut off the water tap" of production, before we can start negotiating ceilings on stockpiles. In its statement to the CD on January 20, Syria stated the opposing view, held by many NNWS, that a future treaty on fissile materials should also include capping the existing stockpiles of such materials.

On Thursday, January 29, Iran, France, Morocco, Colombia, Slovakia and Algeria took the floor.

Faced with the ongoing inactivity of the CD, many Member States are sending high-level delegates to Geneva, with the intent of raising the political visibility and pressure on that august body. The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kamal Kharazzi, delivered Iran’s first statement to the 2004 session.

Mr. Kharazzi outlined the current political climate, defining it as one marked by a “change in the nature of threat perceptions” and a “further militarization of the international arena.” It is an appropriate reminder to the world’s sole body for disarmament negotiations that, as Mr. Kharazzi flatly stated, “Increased militarism does not necessary translate into increased security.” At a time when measures to combat weapons proliferation are increasingly failing to incorporate disarmament measures as an integral part of nonproliferation efforts, Mr. Kharazzi argued that, “Militarization has a decisive role in the existence and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It threatens international peace and security.”

“Nuclear disarmament,” said the Minister, “should necessarily be the focus of any attempt here. It is an embarrassment that nuclear weapons still exist in defiance to human civilization’s quest.” He claimed that the 13 Steps of the NPT 2000 Review Conference have been "put on ice," and that the “unverifiable, limited” bilateral agreements between NWS are “devoid of effective international guarantees for irreversibility.” While recognizing that his call for “political will” in the CD was just one of many, he urged the “introduction of new ideas” so that we can “comprehend the prerequisites of such a political will.”

Mr. Kharazzi concluded his statement by asserting Iran’s “inalienable right to nuclear technology” as a Party to the NPT. He maintained that Iran is working with the fullest measures of transparency possible, despite the “illegal active campaign to deprive Iran of its right” to nuclear technology. The December signing of the IAEA Additional Protocol is just one more demonstration of Iran’s commitment to “the NPT to protect our supreme interests in a secure environment while ensuring our sustainable development.”

Where Mr. Kharazzi saw a “change in the nature of threat perceptions”, France’s Ambassador François Rivasseau asserted that the present international situation has indeed changed and necessitated new issues and methods of work. Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are “two asymmetrical menaces which have changed the strategic equation.” Nonetheless, he insisted that new measures taken in the field of disarmament should not be underestimated.

Morocco’s Ambassador Omar Hilale deplored the CD’s infamous stalemate, and asserted that his country would not “resign itself to this fate.” In addition to terrorism and WMD proliferation, Morocco added “the double standard of the perception” of WMD to the list of “new and complex threats.”

Ambassador Clemencia Forero Ucrós of Colombia, made her statement from “the modest perspective of a NNWS,” one that is a member of a continent-wide Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. She noted Colombia’s participation in the Ottawa Process, the Small Arms Plan of Action, as well as the past contributions to the CD made by her predecessor, Ambassador Reyes.

Ambassador Kalman Petocz stressed Slovakia’s prioritization of the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty as a starting point for the CD’s work in the new year. He also noted that Colombia’s national instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) is in transit to the Secretary-General.

Finally, Ambassador Nassima Baghli of Algeria, as one of the Five Ambassadors whose proposal for an agenda is ever closer to adoption, voiced her pleasure at the “great support” that the A5 proposal has received.

This is the first advisory on the Conference on Disarmament for the 2004 session. All available statements are posted at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index04.html.

At the moment, not all statements delivered are available in English. We are trying to obtain English-versions of all of the statements delivered since the CD’s opening on January 20th. In the meanwhile, we apologize for any inconvenience.

All CD Advisories are archived at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/advisories.html. All advisories from last year’s sessions, including a summary of statements by topic, are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/alerts.html.

All press releases from UNOG are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/press04/pressindex.html.

To read a summary of the A5 proposal see: http://www.unog.ch/news2/documents/newsen/dc0304e.htm.

For more on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty see:
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com03/FCM/finalreport.html#fissmat

For more on Nuclear Weapon Free Zones see: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/politicalindex.html and http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com03/FCM/finalreport.html#NWFZ

For more on Negative Security Assurances in the First Committee see: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com03/FCM/wk4.htm#NSA

See also the Reaching Critical Will Guide to the Conference on Disarmament, updated in September 2003: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/cdbook.pdf.

As always, we welcome all comments, questions, concerns, or suggestions.

- Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

February 6

This week, Spain, Romania and Italy delivered statements to the CD.

All statements can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html

All press releases from UNOG can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/press04/pressindex.html

All CD Advisories are archived at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/advisories.html

Ambassador Costea of Romania discussed the results of the Reay Group Workshop that took place in Bucharest this week. This Romanian initiative addressed “Progress in meeting the aims of the Ottawa Convention in South Eastern Europe,” and discussed challenges to reaching the goals of the Convention, including victim assistance, stockpile destruction, psychological and social support, economic reintegration, and mobilization of resources. In addition to the Reay Group- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia, representatives of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands Qatar Sweden, Thailand, the European Commission, UNDP, UNMAS, and several NGOs, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, also attended the workshop.

Romania circulated the workshop Chair's summary as an official document of the Conference.

Italy’s Ambassador Carlo Trezza once again broached the “new threats and challenges faced by the international community,” as “out of box” items that he hopes will be addressed by the CD. While reaffirming the A5 proposal as “the basis for our deliberations,” he argued that the incorporation of these “new issues” into the agenda “would facilitate” a greater “acceptance of a program of work.” After all, he maintained, even the original sponsors of the A5 proposal believe that their draft agenda “has an evolutionary character” as demonstrated by “the flexibility shown on August 7 last year by China and Russia,” when they offered a revised PAROS mandate.

(Read China’s Ambassador Hu Xiaodi’s statement on the revised PAROS mandate here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches03/7Aug.pdf
Read Russia’s statement here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd//speeches03/31JulRuss.PDF
Read the revised working paper on PAROS submitted by Russia and China here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches03/PAROSwp.htm
Read the August 7, 2003 RCW CD Advisory here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/alerts.html#third.)

Citing the words of the 2003 outgoing President Ambassador Inoguchi, the four “core issues” of the CD were FMCT, PAROS, Nuclear Disarmament and Negative Security Assurances (NSAs). He urged that the Conference prioritize them according to the varying “degree of support” given to each issue by different CD members. Ambassador Trezza also reminded the Conference to “consider the main developments outside the CD…in particular to the NPT review process which is entering its final stage,” and urged “avoiding duplications and contradictions” that would arise out of that process.

Spain, too, stressed the evolutionary nature of the A5 proposal, which should reflect the CD’s ability to adapt to changes taking place in the world. New issues, according to Ambassador Miranda, should not replace “traditional” items on the CD’s agenda, which continue to be relevant in 2004. Like Ambassador Trezza, the Spanish representative underscored the intrinsic link between the CD and the NPT process.

Without doubt, any agenda set forth to an international body must assume a degree of flexibility in order to adapt to the changing environment. However, while terrorism and WMD proliferation in the hands of "non-state actors" is indeed a problem that must be addressed effectively, the "old" problems with which the world has grappled since 1945 have not lessened in their urgency. In fact, nuclear disarmament has probably never been a more pressing goal than it is today. Nuclear disarmament is now facing the "new" challenge of being eclipsed by an unbalanced prioritization of terrorism on the world's security agenda. To concur with the good ambassador from Spain, the "traditional" problem of nuclear arms has never been more relevant.

With the Third NPT PrepCom fast approaching, and the stakes of the 2005 Review Conference rising each year, the members of the CD must act now in order to demonstrate the validity and dynamism of the international disarmament regime. For the sake of the NPT, the CD, and the international disarmament regime as a whole, CD members must re-assert the primacy of addressing, once and for all, the nuclear threat.

- Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

February 13

This week at the CD, China, Poland, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea delivered statements to the plenary. The United States also circulated the text of a statement delivered by George Bush to the National Defense University.

All statements are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html

The delegates also discussed the issue of NGO participation in the work of the CD, resulting in the first formal decision on the relationship of civil society to the CD. In addition to a formal recognition of the right of NGOs to attend formal sessions of the plenary, it was also acknowledged that NGOs have rights to all official documents, and to speak to the delegates at one informal meeting per annual session.

To read the draft decision and the Geneva NGO Committee on Disarmament’s response, see: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/NGOs.html.

In his remarks to the National Defense University, George Bush outlined “seven proposals to strengthen the world’s efforts to stop the spread of deadly weapons” including:
*expanding the Proliferation Security Initiative to incorporate international intelligence, military,   and police cooperation
*strengthening national and international export controls
*continuing the Cooperative Threat Reduction programs under the Nunn-Lugar legislation and the   G8 10+10/10 initiative launched in Kananaskis, Canada
*prohibiting Non-Nuclear Weapon States without “full-scale, functioning enrichment and   reprocessing plants” from developing their own nuclear materials, and purchasing it “at   reasonable cost” from the “world’s leading nuclear exporters”
*prohibiting the export of equipment for civilian nuclear programs to States which have not signed   the IAEA Additional Protocols
*creating a “special committee of the IAEA Board” to concentrate on safeguards and verification
*prohibiting States suspected of being in violation with the IAEA from serving on the Board of   Governors

While some of these proposals and ideas are sure to surface at the upcoming NPT PrepCom meeting in New York, others will be pushed forward at the G8 summit meeting in June, or in a Security Council resolution on nonproliferation to be voted on in the upcoming months.

The statement has been circulated as an official document of the Conference as is available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/12FebUS.pdf.

Whereas the U.S. statement discussed proposals and initiatives to be taken in the near future, Ambassador Hu Xiaodi of China announced several steps that China already has taken in the field of nonproliferation. He opened his remarks with a testimony to China’s commitment to “the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction,” without explicitly referencing the legal obligation of all Nuclear Weapon States to disarm.

In December, China published a White Paper entitled, “China’s Non-Proliferation Policy and Measures,” which elaborates “the characteristics of China’s nonproliferation export control system, its relevant concrete measures as well as the strict implementation of the laws and regulations on nonproliferation export control.” Ambassador Xiaodi maintained that their export control systems operate within internationally accepted frameworks.

Mr. Xiaodi avowed China’s participation in “all the relevant international treaties relating to nonproliferation.” Just this week, the first round of dialogue between China and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) took place, four months after Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing sent a letter to the MTCR Chair, declaring China’s willingness to join. Mr. Xiaodi also informed the plenary that China submitted its application for membership into the Nuclear Suppliers Group on January 26 of this year.

Ambassador Xiaodi also quoted text from the joint communiqué of France and China, issued on January 27. In this statement, France and China announced their pledges to:
*“set up a working group on arms control and nonproliferation in the framework of bilateral    strategic dialogue…
*“attach importance to the strict observance of the NPT…(and) to make efforts to facilitate the    entry-into-force of the CTBT…
*“hold a United Nations Security Council summit meeting on the issue of non-proliferation”

He concluded his intervention with a reiteration of China’s desire to prevent an arms race in outer space, as outlined in the A5 proposal.

The White Paper is available at: http://www.china.org.cn/e-white/20021209/II.htm.

In contrast to the U.S. and China's foci on nonproliferation, the DPRK stated that, "nuclear disarmament should be the first priority" of the work of the CD.

Ambassador Ri called for Negative Security Assurances (NSAs) to Non-Nuclear Weapon States as "a vital issue...in the context of the NPT." The focus on nonproliferation in an absence of equal attention to nuclear disarmament is, he argued, "escapist".

Ambassador Ri also called attention to the prevention of an arms race in outer space as "a pressing task facing the international community," calling for a "legally-binding instrument" to preserve outer space for all human kind.

Finally, Poland’s Ambassador Jakubowski delivered a lengthy statement that outlined concrete ways of moving forward for the CD as a whole. With an expressed high degree of confidence and optimism, Ambassador Jakubowski challenged his colleagues to start thinking creatively about their work.

Sprinkling his remarks with metaphors to Greek mythology, Ambassador Jakubowski urged creative approaches to the agenda, their rules of procedure, and the challenges facing the international community. Recalling the French ambassador’s “out-of-box issues,” he maintained that the “traditional agenda” already encompasses the new challenges of terrorism and WMD proliferation. He suggested:
*placing terrorism under agenda item 2, “Prevention of nuclear war including all related matters.”
*placing compliance, verification and inspections under agenda item 6, “Comprehensive   programme of disarmament.”
*placing confidence building measures in conventional weapons under agenda item 7   “Transparency in armaments”

Like many of his colleagues in the CD, he expressed Poland’s belief that the Conference should immediately begin work on agenda items that already enjoy consensus, and establish subsidiary bodies to negotiate new treaties.

He also supported the CD President’s proposal for holding informal plenary meetings as a “legitimate way of conducting work by the Conference,” noting that Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam of Sri Lanka, Special Coordinator on the functioning of the Conference, also supported such a proposal. Ambassador Jakubowski believes that the CD has the best intellectual and structural preparation to deal with the substantive issues of international security and disarmament.

The delegates to the Conference should perhaps take their cue from the Polish ambassador, whose optimism and confidence in the CD, together with his "creative thinking" approaches to the challenges facing it, can offer much to their stalled negotiations. However, as stated by numerous Member States as well as the Secretary-General himself, no amount of optimism or creativity can replace the one vital ingredient: a critical mass of political will.

Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

February 18

This week at the CD, Malaysia, Myanmar, Venezuela and France delivered
statements.

Venezuela's Ambassador Blancanieve Portocarrero delivered a brief
presentation on her country's recent activities relating to disarmament and
arms control. Venezuela has made significant progress in its de-mining
campaign, as well as in the implementation of its small arms control law.
It is also in the process of ratifying the Convention on the Prohibition of
Certain Conventional Arms.

Myanmar Ambassador U Mya Than offered amendments to the A5 proposal, which,
despite the wide agreement, has still not been officially adopted as a
program of work for the stalemated body.

Under the original A5 proposal, the CD would create Ad Hoc Committees on the
four main subjects: nuclear disarmament, Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty,
Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, and Negative Security Assurances.
The proposal also calls for the appointment of Special Coordinators to
solicit Member views on three other areas of importance: new types of WMD; a
complete program of disarmament; and transparency of armaments.

Myanmar holds the view that the simultaneous creation of Committees and
Coordinators creates a linkage between the two. The Ad Hoc Committees on
the four main issues are the priority, he said, and must "be liberated from
the rigid framework of a linkage with the question of the appointment of the
Special Coordinators. This makes it shorter, simpler, and easier to build
consensus on."

On the issue of nuclear disarmament, "the highest priority for Myanmar," the
proposed amendment incorporates "agreed language of the Final Document of
the 2000 NPT Review Conference," the commitments of which, "have been called
into question. to our dismay."

Ambassador Dr. Rajmah Hussain defended Malaysia from the "undue references"
made to it in the U.S. President's speech last week. The speech has
"offended" Malaysia by its implicit "question (of) the commitment of the
Government of Malaysia on the issue of nuclear non-proliferation."

Ambassador Hussain maintained that the Malaysian company SCOPE is in no way
"involved with an international network which supports the illegal
production of centrifuges," as claimed by Bush in the speech last week.
Although the U.S. statement notes that many other countries are involved in
the illegal network, "Malaysia has been deliberately singled out.thus
tarnishing Malaysia's track record."

These points and others were also made by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk
Seri Syed Hamid Albar, whose comments of 13 February were also circulated as
a CD document.

Ambassador Rivasseau of France noted his country's dissatisfaction with
"certain paragraphs" in the decision on enhancing the participation of civil
society in the work of the Conference which was taken last week. He asked
for clarification on "the cost of the decision," and urged that the draft
decision on NGO access be just one part of the general debate on improving
the methods of work of the Conference.

Read the draft decision on NGO access here.

This and all other CD Advisories are archived here.

Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

February 26

11 States took the floor this week at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the DPRK, France, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, the U.K. and the U.S. The DPRK did not circulate a prepared text, but instead used the CD to reiterate its position regarding the ongoing Beijing Six-Party talks. Ambassador Ri said that they will not dismantle its suspected nuclear program so long as the United States maintains its hostile policy toward the DPRK.

Of the remaining 10 countries, all except the U.S. and U.K. dedicated their time on the floor to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, which entered into force on March 1, 1999.

Now with over 140 countries, the Ottawa Convention “has set a high normative standard that is even respected by most- though not all- non-signatories,” according to Ambassador Wolfgang Petrisch of Austria, the President-designate of the Nairobi Review Conference that is scheduled for December of this year. Japan’s Ambassador Inoguchi remarked on the “significan(ce) that States non-party to the Convention are also taking meaningful actions in line with this norm, such as the moratorium on the export of anti-personnel mines.” Canada urged non-parties to enact confidence-building measures “to acknowledge the important norm established by the Convention and the impact that it is having on modifying behavior.”

While most States hailed the Convention for its landmark successes, all outlined various challenges to the elimination of landmines.

“Even if many stockpiled mines have been destroyed,” said Norwegian Ambassador Sverre Bergh Johansen, “this process is far from finished, and needs to proceed.”

There also still remains the issue of universalization. Canada’s Acting Permanent Representative Ann Pollack asked “those States that consider that they are unable to join the Convention (to) take steps themselves, individually or collectively, such as stating a commitment to its humanitarian goals, undertaking moratoria to not produce or transfer anti-personnel landmines, beginning stockpile destruction, funding mine action, submitting voluntary Article 7 reports, attending the Review Conference as an observer.”

Ambassador Johansen encouraged increased assistance to landmine victims, noting that “a lower number of mine victims does not mean that the job is done- it means that we are on the right way.” With so many landmines still in the world, “we are still facing a humanitarian emergency,” he stated.

Canada, the chair of the Universalization Contact Group and host of the original Convention, believes that the Convention “does not need to be supplemented by a partial instrument” to overcome some of these challenges.

The success of the Ottawa Convention remains a source of hope for many, who look towards “the Ottawa Process” as a viable alternative to the standard multilateral process in disarmament negotiations. On this fifth anniversary, the President-delegate from Austria suggested that the cooperation between Peru and Ecuador, formerly two countries locked in a border war, should be held up as a shining example for India and Pakistan. Ambassador Pollock hopes that “the positive spirit” of the Ottawa Treaty “may infect the CD” and inspire them to act on their own tasks at hand.

For more information on the Ottawa Convention and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, see: www.icbl.org.

The United States, one of the remaining 44 countries that have not signed the Landmine Ban, did not comment on the popular treaty. Instead, Ambassador Jackie Wolcott, the U.S.’s new Permanent Representative to Geneva, took the floor for her first time to reiterate and paraphrase Bush’s seven proposals that were outlined last week.

To summarize, the U.S. proposed seven measures that would, according to Ambassador Wolcott, “be both profoundly multilateral and effective”:

1- expanding the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), both in scope, members, and capability;
2- enacting national legislation that would “criminalize proliferation”, including the new Security Council resolution that would “call for such measures”;
3- expanding the Kananaskis Global Partnership Initiative to countries outside of Russia, including Iraq and Libya;
4- restrict the ability of NPT Member Non-Nuclear Weapon States to develop their own nuclear fuel for “peaceful” uses, supplying them instead with fuel from the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group “at reasonable cost;”
5- “mak(ing) signature of the Additional Protocol a condition of nuclear supply by the end of 2005;”
6- creating a special committee of the IAEA Board of Governors to “focus intensively on safeguards and verification”;
7- barring IAEA Board membership from countries under investigation.

You can read Bush’s original statement, which was circulated as an official CD text, here.

The United Kingdom, by contrast, is a party to the Ottawa Convention, but chose not to commemorate its anniversary. Instead, it circulated as an official CD document the text of a speech by Foreign Minister Jack Straw to the House of Commons this week.

The statement outlined the U.K.’s “counterproliferation priorities for the coming months.”

Foreign Minister Straw noted that “some 60 countries” support the PSI and have expressed “their intention to apply its principles.” The U.K. is working with the International Maritime Organization to create an amendment to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts at Sea Convention, which will make the transport of WMD illegal on commercial vessels. The U.K. is also pursuing bilateral agreements with countries to allow for the “boarding of vessels which may be carrying cargoes which could be used in WMD programs.”

The U.K. is also discussing with their “partners” the possibility of imposing “new penalties…to deter air or shipping lines” from transporting such dubious cargo. New penalties could include, for instance, denying landing or port rights, or establishing “an international register of companies and individuals convicted of proliferation offenses.”

As part of the E.U., the U.K. is tightening regulations for Customs, and supports the U.S.’s call “to use Interpol and all other means” in international police work. The U.K. is also developing new methods for “screening…traffic for the illicit movement of radioactive materials.”

In addition to strengthening the Global Partnership, the NPT Article IV rethink, and other initiatives as described by U.S. Ambassador Wolcott, the U.K. also supports the proposed Security Council resolution on nonproliferation. This resolution, which still sits among the P5 only, would “call on States to adopt tough national legislation to criminalize the possession, manufacture or trafficking of WMD,” according to the U.K. The British government would also like the Council to create a Counter Proliferation Committee as a follow-up mechanism to the proposed resolution.

The resolution is still undergoing draft changes among the P5. It is expected that the rest of the Council will be included in the debate sometime in the following weeks.

-Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

March 4

Today in the CD, only the United States and the Malaysian CD president
delivered statements.

The new US ambassador to the CD, Jackie W. Sanders, delivered a statement
regarding the United States' new policy on landmines.

While the United States is not a Party to the Ottawa Convention, Ambassador
Sanders declared that the US is "the first major military power to commit to
giving up all non-detectable landmines and all persistent landmines." The
new US policy is intended to be a supplement to the Anti-Vehicle Mine
Proposal Protocol sponsored by 30 nations in the CCW, which meets again in
Geneva next week.

The "Fact Sheet on New United States Policy on Landmines" was submitted as
an official document to the CD, and can be found alongside Ambassador
Sanders' statement.

While the fact sheet declares that "The United States is committed to
eliminating the humanitarian risks posed by landmines," it continues to say
that "the military capabilities provided by landmines remain necessary for
the United States military to protect our forces and save lives."

According to the fact sheet, the United States has allocated $70 million in
FY04 for landmine clearance, mine risk education, and victim assistance;
this amount is up 50% from 2003.

The US will also be seeking a worldwide ban on the sale or export of all
persistent landmines.

The Malaysian president of the CD also briefly commented on the "formal
selection process" that will "consider requests from NGOs to address the
CD," as detailed in paragraph 5 of the draft decision on the enhancement of
civil society participation in the work of the CD. The draft decision
states that, "requests from NGOs will be made to the President through the
CD secretariat. These requests will be considered at Presidential Consultations
and thereafter at a formal Plenary Meeting of the Conference."

A background paper for this selection process was prepared by the CD
Secretariat, and will be available on the RCW website shortly.

************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

March 12

At the open session on Thursday, the Conference on Disarmament observed the
annual International Women's Day, March 8. As has been the tradition since
1984, WILPF- as a member of the NGO Committee on Peace- prepared a statement
to the plenary, which was read aloud by the Deputy Secretary-General of the
Conference, Mr. Enrique Roman-Morey.

Thailand, Nigeria, Serbia and Montenegro, and the outgoing CD President from
Malaysia also took the floor.

The NGO Women's Day statement urged CD Members to situate their discussions
and deliberations on disarmament in a framework of human security, rather
than a narrow concept of national security, the prevalence of which has
gripped the world in a state of war, death and destruction throughout the
history of civilization. The full text of the statement is included below,
and is also available here.

After Mr. Roman-Morey delivered the NGO statement, Norway and Ireland
expressed their appreciation of the NGO intervention, and used the
opportunity to reiterate their support for the recent CD decision on NGO
participation in the work of the CD, which is available here.

In a seemingly immediate echo of the NGO statement, Thailand's Ambassador
Satjipon demonstrated the beginnings of the conceptual shift toward a framework
of human security. After his intervention on Thailand's progress with the
APM Convention, he pondered, "There may be times when we sit thinking why we
are doing what we are doing in this grand, imposing room. To whose glory
are our sweat and patience to serve? To whose lives do we want to make a
difference? Answering these questions, I find peace and security too broad
an answer and too less an inspiration. Disarmament by itself could be a
rather cold, dry concept. Let us think about pain and happiness, poverty and
development that arms and disarmament could cause and cure. Maybe, we could
find the way out of the impasse we have been drowned into." As President of
the Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the Ottawa Treaty, Thailand stresses
the link between mine clearance and development. He noted with appreciation
the ongoing discussion between the Resource Mobilization Task Force and the
World Bank, a collaboration that "bring(s) mine action even closer to the
issue of socio-economic development."

He also expressed support for non-governmental participation in disarmament
issues, noting that, "The success of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
is a direct result of the dynamic synergy between public and private actors
who have worked closely together for the cause of putting an end to human
sufferings. In this regard, the CD's recent decision to engage actors from
civil society in its work is not merely a refreshing development but also a
timely response to changes in the larger environment."

A human security framework enables diplomats and disarmament experts to look
away from the cold, uninspiring, technical and dry approach to weapons, as
perceived by Ambassador Satjipon. Ambassador Rajmah Hussain experienced the
power of a human security approach when she visited Nagasaki two years ago.

Ambassador Hussain, the third consecutive female President of the CD,
recalled her impressions from her trip to Nagasaki,
where she visited the atomic bomb museum. She graphically evoked the
images of August 9, 1944 that are preserved in the museum in Nagasaki, and
urged the CD to take up the invitation of Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba to
hold their 2005 summer session in Japan. "Perhaps," as Mayor Akiba wrote,
if the CD Members were to "return to this fateful spot, the world can regain
the path to human security in a nuclear-weapon-free world and thereby ensure
that Nagasaki remains the last city to ever experience such a cruel fate."

Mr. Divjak-Tomic of Serbia and Montenegro, an Observer State to the CD, used
his time on the floor to discuss his country's stance on the various cornerstones
that comprise the international legal regime. They are making good progress
in implementing the Ottawa Convention, the SALW PoA, and ratification of the
CTBT. Serbia and Montenegro drafted a law on transfers of weapons, dual-use
goods and technologies, as part of their efforts to curb proliferation of
nuclear weapons. They are also members of both the Missile Technology
Control Regime as well as the Hague Code of Conduct.

In an acknowledgement of the need for a human security framework, Nigeria's
Ambassador Oudseni noted with disappointment that "the issues of common security and
common development under a collective international architecture" have not
surfaced in a post-Cold War world. Instead, we continue to face the threat
of nuclear annihilation, the effects of which were graphically and
poignantly described by Ambassador Satjipon. He asserted that the Nuclear
Weapons Convention be "a topmost priority" of the CD, as urged by the First
Special Session on Disarmament.

In an appropriately blunt fashion, Ambassador Oudseni stated plainly that,
"The history of proliferation of nuclear weapons illustrates that by failing
to curb or stop their own vertical proliferation, the nuclear powers have
inadvertently encouraged other states to proliferate. (through) the obvious
glorification of the possession of nuclear weapons." He likened the
genocidal threat of nuclear weapons to the "slave trade, colonialism, and
other numerous forms of brutal subjugation" that has been perpetuated
throughout history, especially in his home continent of Africa.

Nigeria also suggested re-examining the monthly rotational Presidency of the
CD which "leaves insufficient time.to carry out serious, behind-the-scene
consultations" with key players and various groups. Such consultations are
"the grease that oils the wheel of flexibility on difficult issues in the
CD."

In a somewhat exasperated tone, Nigeria argued that the CD must collectively
"refocus" if they are to break its "lame-duck" status. The "subtle efforts"
undertaken by some States to rejuvenate and impel the CD to action are not
enough; these efforts are "masquerade(ing) under the orchestrated notion
that some items on the agenda are not mature for substantive consideration
and negotiation." He argued some States are attempting to prioritize
"secondary items"- a thinly veiled reference to terrorism and WMD- which in
effect eclipses the "overwhelming challenges of nuclear armament,
weaponization of outer space, and the absence of" Negative Security
Assurances. Such action has "shackled" the CD "under the weight of
consensus," which must be "rescued to ensure its responsible use."

Finally, Ambassador Hussain took the floor for a second time,
to present her outgoing remarks as CD President. She presented a
"Presidential Factual Summary" of the informal consultations on the Work
Programme that have been taking place. She stressed the "evolutionary"
nature of the A5 which enjoys broad support, while maintaining that a
"substantive programme of work is not ripe yet." Questions over lingering
linkages "are a touchy issue" that do not, however, impede on the informal
plenaries "that may help to bring the process forward."

She invited the incoming CD presidents to work with her on an Interim
Program of Work, until an official Work Program can be adopted. This
proposal is in accordance with a suggestion put forth in the NGO statement,
in which we urged presidents and Member States "to hold informal discussions
within the CD, the Secretariat, in the world's capitals and elsewhere. If
negotiations in the CD are not yet possible due to the positions of certain
States, dialogue must continue to move forward." With only two weeks left
in this session of the CD, an unconfirmed agenda for the UNDC, and so much
at stake at the upcoming PrepCom, the determination of ambassadors such as
Ambassador Hussain are necessary if we are to heed the call from the NGO
Committee on Peace and evolve beyond a dangerous belief in military security
and work toward the genuine security of all nations.

************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

March 17

While in Geneva for the Commission on Human Rights, several Ministers of
Foreign Affairs are capitalizing on their trip to Switzerland by delivering
high-level interventions to the floor of the Conference on Disarmament. In
the first of three sessions this week, Ministers from Sweden, Ireland,
Bangladesh, and Canada took the floor on Tuesday.

These statements, and all others from the 2004 session, are available here.

Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
The Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham discussed the recent developments concerning the DPRK, Libya, Iran, and the A.Q. Khan network, in an effort to draw a frightening picture of "the
international environment (which) urgently demands our creativity and commitment." Sweden's Minister Laila Freivalds , too, gave brief overviews on these topics, and voiced nearly exactly
the same concerns and recommendations over and in regard to the DPRK, Iran,
and Libya.

In the frightening present reality, Ireland highlighted the "tendency (of) some Members of the Treaty to stress its non-proliferation aspects to the neglect of the disarmament provisions of
the NPT." He added, "I am firmly convinced that disarmament and non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing."

Minister Freivalds echoed this statement, concurring that "disarmament and
non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing." Bangladesh's Minister Reaz
Rahman, while acknowledging the importance of non-proliferation efforts,
maintained that "nuclear weapons constitute the single most dangerous threat
to mankind."

Vertical Proliferation
Without mentioning any State by name, Irish Minister Cowen deplored "the
development of new types or new uses for nuclear weapons (which) is unlikely
to inspire a sense of confidence." Rather, he maintained, such development
"suggests that the taboo on the use of such weapons could be weakened."

Sweden agreed: "Blurring the lines between conventional weapons and
non-strategic nuclear weapons would lower the threshold against the use of
nuclear weapons." Therefore, in accordance with the New Agenda working
papers that have been put forth in recent PrepComs, Swedish
Minister Freivalds suggested that "a binding and verifiable disarmament
agreement on non-strategic nuclear weapons should be negotiated." Moreover,
she asserted, such an agreement "as a decisive measure to prevent terrorism
by nuclear weapons."

Negative Security Assurances
Bangladeshi Minister Rahman, too, refrained from naming names, in
Bangladesh's advocacy for a "universal, unconditional, and legally binding
instrument" on Negative Security Assurances (NSAs). His country remains
"deeply concerned at the changes in nuclear policy of certain nuclear weapon
countries to ease out of their commitment" to provide NSAs to NNWS, as
pledged in SC res 984 (1995). NSAs, he maintained, serve as "an important
element" in the decision of NNWS to renounce the nuclear option. NNWS in
the NPT "have a legitimate right to receive an unconditional assurance" that
NWS will not use nor threaten to use nuclear weapons against them. A
binding instrument on NSAs would, he assured, "securely anchor the
non-proliferation regime" in a time when "serious challenges" facing it are
threatening to "unravel the whole process" of the NPT.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Most States voiced concern over the disintegration of the 13 Steps of the
NPT 2000 Review Conference Final Document, "a realistic blueprint for
achieving nuclear disarmament," according to Irish Minister Cowen.

To Bangladesh, the lack of progress by the NWS on the 13 Steps "is
disheartening." Minister Rahman urged that we not lose sight of the "all
important goal of general and complete disarmament.as required by Article VI
of the NPT." While welcoming the entry-into-force of the Moscow Treaty,
Bangladesh maintained that SORT "does not fully compensate for the
abrogation of the ABM Treaty."

Canada will be using the accomplishments of past NPT conferences to push for
progress at the upcoming 2005 Review. At that conference, Canada "will be
pressing hard to encourage all states to be faithful to the bargain they
made in 1995, a bargain premised upon permanence with accountability. We
will encourage states to demonstrate fidelity in deeds and not just words to
Article VI, to reinforce the linkages between Articles III and IV and to
improve the Treaty's functioning and implementation."

Comprehensive nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
Ireland, Canada, and Bangladesh all noted the urgency of the CTBT's
entry-into-force. As Irish Minister Cowen identified, "there is a
fundamental link between the objectives of the NPT and the CTBT- one of the
fundamental building steps on the road to disarmament." For his part,
Canadian Minister Graham wrote letters to every one of his counterparts in
hold-out States, "urging them to complete this important unfinished
business." Bangladesh noted that it was the first country in South Asia to
sign, "tangible testimony to our constitutional commitment towards general
and complete disarmament."

Plurilateral Initiatives
The Western countries all discussed various plurilateral strategies to
combat nuclear proliferation. Ireland, the current President of the E.U.,
noted that as a part of the E.U. Strategy Against Proliferation, the E.U.
decided that "non-proliferation should be mainstreamed into our overall
policies." Sweden noted that "multilateralism is at the core," of the E.U.
strategy, which covers a "wide spectrum" of proliferation concerns.

Canada welcomed the E.U. Strategy, along with the recent proposals set forth
in speeches by U.S. President Bush and U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
Such "joint efforts," Canadian Minister Bill Graham asserted, are "no
substitute for the Conference on Disarmament and legally-binding treaties."

Canada, which will be hosting the next meting of Proliferation Security
Initiative "operational experts," declared its commitment to PSI principles,
stressing also its concurrent commitment to "ensuring that any PSI activity
in which we participate will be fully consistent with international law and
our own national legal authorities."

Canada also reaffirmed its leadership of the G8 Global Partnership, and
supports President Bush's proposal to expand the Partnership to regions
outside of FSU.

Verification
Verification remained an important topic to nearly all States. As Swedish
Minister Freivalds stated, "Our possibilities to detect, at an early stage,
non-compliance must be strengthened through effective use of existing
verification arrangements and by devising new complementary mechanisms."
Ireland and Sweden both voiced their support for effective compliance and
verification regimes for the BTWC, a noticeable void in the biological
weapons nonproliferation regime.

To Canada, the unmasking of the A.Q. Khan network, Libya's relatively
advanced nuclear program, the North Korean situation and the continued
ambiguity of Iran's nuclear ambitions "highlight the extent to which it is
urgent to reinforce compliance and verification mechanisms." Minister Graham
called on countries to strengthen "state-to-state compliance and
verification mechanisms across the board. the existing multilateral
framework.(and) the capabilities of the UN as well." After all, affirmed
Minister Graham, "the success of the NPT in stopping horizontal
proliferation of nuclear weapons ultimately depends on the effectiveness of
verification provisions in Article III."

Canada gave notice of the "enhanced support" that it will give to the IAEA.
Canada will also be further examining the "interesting ideas on the nuclear
fuel cycle" that the Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei has put forth, and
they will be "working with all the authorities involved to promote more such
realistic initiatives."

Addressing the CD Stalemate
Most all of the Ministers noted with grave disappointment the lack of
progress in the CD. Canada and Bangladesh urged the Conference to support
the A5, even though to Bangladesh, the A5 proposal "does not necessarily
meet all expectations." Minister Rahman acknowledged, however, that "this
may never happen" and that the proposal "seems balanced" enough to reach a
consensus.

Minister Cowen voiced Ireland's support for a subsidiary body in the CD to
deal specifically with nuclear disarmament. He also urged reconsideration
of "the exclusivity" of CD membership, stressing that "legitimacy underpins
respect for multilateral action," and that "if we want an effective
multilateral system we must all contribute meaningfully to it."
Furthermore, he flummoxed, "I find it hard to believe, much less understand,
how a body charged with a mandate of such relevance to humankind.can
continue to effectively exclude civil society from a meaningful role in its
deliberations."

To Sweden, it is "high time" to begin negotiations on an FMCT, and Minister
Freivalds called on all states "not to delay this any further." Canadian
Minister Graham asked: "Why should the start of such formal talks, such a
small step forward, remain so difficult? I must say that I find it hard to
understand." While Bangladesh maintained that negotiations on a fissban
should include the existing stockpiles; "without which, any such treaty
will be incomplete."

In regards to PAROS discussion, Ireland unemphatically noted that they "see
merit in embarking on a process which could eventually lead to an agreement
on the non-weaponization of outer space." By contrast, Bangladesh remains
decidedly "convinced" that the only way to save outer space from the poison
of its weaponization is through a legally binding international instrument.

The prevention of space weaponization was, and always has been, a
"fundamental Canadian goal," Minister Graham declared. He urged the
Conference to establish an ad hoc committee on PAROS to "begin discussing,
without any preconditions, how the international community can keep outer
space weapons-free." This "fundamentally Canadian" idea, he noted, "has
evolved" in Canada. While they remain firmly opposed to the weaponization
of space, Canada recognizes "the need to ensure the safety of satellites
vital to our security and prosperity." Minister Graham announced the joint
seminar sponsored by UNIDIR and the Canadian DFAIT on "Safeguarding Space
for All" to be held in Geneva on March 25-26 this year.

Conventional Weapons
Only Sweden and Ireland noted the upcoming conference on tracking and
marking Small Arms and Light Weapons. Ireland's Minister Brian Cowen hoped
that "the misuse of" SALW would "be given greater priority," while Sweden
called for "export controls, including control of arms dealers, increased
transparency in arms trade and marking and tracing of arms" in the
discussions set to take place this summer.

Ireland, the host of an April, 2003 conference on the Explosive Remnants of
War, noted that the progress on the CCW should be regarded as "a significant
step forward," especially in the midst of what he characterized as "a
difficult period for arms control." Swedish Foreign Minister Laila
Freivalds noted that the CCW protocol "is presently before the Swedish
Parliament for consideration." In addition, Sweden "regrets the decision by
the United States to pursue its landmine policy outside the framework of
this important Convention" prohibiting APMs.

----
It is encouraging to see that some States are heeding the call of Ambassador
Kuniko Inoguchi, the last CD President for the 2003 sessions. In her
closing remarks, Ambassador Inoguchi called for more States to send Foreign
Ministers or their high-level equivalents, in order to not only raise the
profile of the CD's important work, but also as a demonstration of States'
commitment to the CD and to the multilateral process that it embodies.

************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate
Reaching Critical Will

Second Session

May 14, 2004
HTML edition**

The Conference on Disarmament opened its second session of 2004 this week. Although the recently adjourned nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty PrepCom was unable to reach agreement on substantive (or even most procedural) issues, the long-stalemated CD began structured informal plenaries on substantive issues, based on a proposal from CD President Pablo Macedo of Mexico.

Ambassador Macedo had proposed that the CD, which is in its sixth year without an agreed agenda, structure the informal plenaries based on the following timetable:

May 13: Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.
May 18: Prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters.
May 27: Prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS).
June 3: Effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (NSA).
June 10: New types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons.
June 17: Comprehensive program of disarmament.
June 24: Transparency in armaments.

In the official public session, only Israel and Myanmar took the floor. Israel’s Ambassador Yaakov Levy expressed ardent support for the recently-adopted Security Council resolution 1540 on proliferation and discussed Israel’s newest legislation on export controls of “materials, technology and know-how that could be used for the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction.” While Israel is not a member of groups such as the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group and the Australia Group, Ambassador Levy maintained that Israel’s export controls are based on these regimes and other international norms.

Myanmar’s Ambassador U Mya Than expressed support for President Macedo’s proposal and noted Myanmar’s similar proposal of February 15, 2001 and endorsed the proposed timetable for these discussions.

After hearing the statements from Israel and Myanmar, the CD immediately commenced the first of these structured informal plenaries, discussing the first item on their agenda: cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.

**Reaching Critical Will's email news subscriptions, including CD Advisories, General E-News Service, the News in Review and the First Committee Monitor, are no longer available in Plain Text format. All CD Advisories will now be sent out in HTML format only.

************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

June 2

Last week, Romania, Mongolia and Mexico took the floor at the Conference on Disarmament. Mexico's Ambassador Pablo Macedo, outgoing President of the CD, delivered two separate statements.

All statements from the 2004 session can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html

Romania's Ambassador Doru Costea informed the Conference of the third meeting of the National Authorities of the Eastern European States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in Bucharest from 17 to 19 May. At that meeting, States Parties discussed ways in which to fulfill the objectives of the Article VII Action Plan which calls upon States Parties to, inter alia, enact the necessary national legislation, including penal legislation, to implement the Convention and to provide the Secretariat with the full text of their national implementing legislation. Participants at the Bucharest meeting also discussed ways of enhancing the efficacy of the CWC's National Implementation Measures.

Mongolia's Ambassador Bekhbat, the incoming President of the CD, stated that he plans to continue holding informal plenaries directly after the formal plenaries, based on the schedule devised by Ambassador Macedo. The remaining sessions are scheduled as follows:

June 3: Effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (NSA).
June 10: New types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons.
June 17: Comprehensive program of disarmament.
June 24: Transparency in armaments.

With the end of the second session of 2004 drawing near, he urged all Member States to maximize the few weeks that remain.

Ambassador Macedo used his time on the floor to present his own summary of the informal discussions that had taken place under his presidency, with the hopes of identifying the major themes which could guide the efforts of the Conference to break the near eight year deadlock.

Ambassador Macedo remains convinced that the A5 Proposal "continues to represent the closest formula to consensus" for a program of work for the Conference. No delegation under his presidency proposed a change to the A5 proposal, although some delegations, he noted, consider that the newer version "is not as ambitious" as some would have hoped.

He stressed the importance of nuclear disarmament and the unequivocal undertaking to abolish nuclear weapons as promised by the nuclear powers in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the NPT, a document that proved to be highly contentious at this past PrepCom in New York. Member States, according to Ambassador Macedo, also stressed the importance of the CTBT's entry-into-force as well as the conclusion of negotiations of an FMCT based upon the Shannon Mandate. The outgoing president also emphasized that disarmament and nonproliferation, "two sides of the same coin," are complementary and mutually reinforcing. He deemed that "it is also worthy to mention" the present challenges of security, including terrorism and the possible acquisition by non-state actors of nuclear weapons materials.

The Mexican ambassador then broached two proposals that "could impel activity of the Conference."

First, he discussed the idea of an "evaluation" of the progress made in nuclear disarmament. Such a study could examine what steps toward disarmament have already been taken, what actions have been undertaken to curb both horizontal as well as vertical proliferation, and also examine what else needs to be done in both of these mutually reinforcing challenges. "In order to carry out such exercise," said the ambassador, "a significant level of transparency is necessary." He suggested also that the Conference dedicate "a series of sessions to analyze" the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines.

Secondly, he discussed the possible establishment of a Group of Experts to approach technical questions related to a Treaty for the Prohibition of the Production of Nuclear Fuel. He reminded the Conference that "several decades ago, the Conference did something similar with respect to the prohibition of the nuclear tests," a study which helped "identify delicate questions related to the verification" now at work under the CTBTO. Such an approach, he suggested, "would contribute valuable elements that would allow better understanding of" the prohibition of nuclear fuel.

While he felt that "these two concrete proposals deserve to be studied," they should not detract "attention (from) our main preoccupation, the adoption of a work program." And with that he wished Ambassador Bekhbat the best of luck as he assumes the presidency for the end of this second session.

All statements can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html
See UNOG Press Releases at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/press04/pressindex.html
This and all other CD Advisories can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/advisories.html

************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

June 4

This week at the CD, Poland, the United States, the Russian Federation and Sudan all delivered statements on the floor. Ambassador Khasbazaryn Bekhbat of Mongolia, speaking in his national capacity, presented highlights from the informal plenary on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) that took place on May 27.

The statements are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html

Poland discussed the First Anniversary of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which just welcomed Panama as its newest "participant" on Friday, June 4. Russian Ambassador Anton Vasilev declared Russia's membership to the group as of May 31, noting that the PSI's success depends largely on its compatibility with international and national laws, and cautioned against allowing the initiative to "create obstacles to legitimate scientific work."

With Sudan's observer status accepted, Ambassador Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj addressed the Conference on behalf of the Arab Group, stressing that disarmament and non-proliferation remains a top priority for Arab countries. He informed the Conference that the League of Arab States has set up a committee of experts to prepare a draft for a Middle East zone free from so-called weapons of mass destruction, in accordance with the Fifth NPT Review conference Final Document, which calls upon Israel to accede to the NPT and place all facilities under IAEA inspections. Ambassador Yaakov Levy of Israel responded, criticizing the new observer State for "politicizing" the Conference.

Ambassador Jackie Sanders of the United States reported on the "Global Threat Reduction Initiative" that Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham discussed at the IAEA conference in Vienna last week. Through this initiative, the United States has pledged $450 million to "secure and dispose of a broad range of nuclear and radiological materials around the world that are vulnerable to theft." Like other non-proliferation programs, such as the G8 Global Parternship, the Global Threat Reduction Initiative will focus first and foremost on Russia. Through the Initiative, the U.S. hopes to repatriate all Russian-originated highly enriched uranium (HEU) back to Russia by the end of 2005. The U.S. is already seeking to repatriate U.S.-originated HEU through an already existing program. Furthermore, Ambassador Sanders noted, the U.S. will be "working to convert" highly-enriched uranium research reactors to low-enriched uranium fuel, "both in the United States and worldwide."

The U.S. will speak more on the threat from so-called weapons of mass destruction in next week's informal plenary on "new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons."

To many States, preventing an arms race in outer space is a primary security concern. As Ambassador Bekhbat noted in his summary, the existing instruments and measures, including the Outer Space Treaty and the 1972 and 1976 Conventions on space, "have become insufficient to prevent the weaponization of outer space." This insufficiency is becoming increasingly urgent, as "the use of space in daily activities and applications is constantly gaining more importance," and as "so-called legitimate military use(s)" of space, while increasingly refenced in debates on space, do not have a clear, legal definition.

Some space-capable States, noted Ambassador Bekhbat, have "declared that they had no plans to deploy weapons in outer space" and that "some of them were ready to submit relevant draft treaties on outer space" once an Ad Hoc Committee is established.

Such a committee, as called for in the A5 agenda, is dependent on "further harmonization of views" regarding PAROS.

In the meanwhile, the ambassador suggested, Members should explore "other avenues" to keep space for peace, including a moratorium on the testing and deveopment of space-based weapons, or through a Code of Conduct. (The Henry L. Stimson Center has recently released a Model Code of Conduct for the Prevention of Incidents and Dangerous Military Practices in Outer Space.) He suggested also that the CD consider establishing an expert group on space and space weapons and peaceful uses, "with a view of arriving at common understanding of various terms and definitions relevant to the issue of the prevention of an arms race in outer space." He added, "Obtaining clarity regarding key terms would be represent a significant contribution to discussions that would be eventually undertaken in an Ad Hoc Committee on PAROS."

September 25- October 2, 2004, is the International Keep Space for Peace Week, co-sponsored by WILPF and Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. For more updates on the PAROS campaign, subscribe to RCW's General E-News Advisories and bookmark the RCW Disarmament Calendar to learn about Space for Peace events in your area.

For more resources on PAROS, see: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/paros/parosindex.html.
This CD Advisory is archived at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/advisories.html.
The United Nations in Geneva also issues weekly press releases on the CD available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/press04/pressindex.html

************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

June 10

This week at the CD, only the United States took the floor during the formal plenary on Thursday.

All statements to the CD are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html

Ambassador Sanders used the opportunity to hail the recently adopted G-8 Action Plan on Nonproliferation, agreed upon at the ongoing G-8 meeting in Sea Island, Georgia. The Action Plan, while falling short of the United States' hopes, endorses and strengthens several existing programs, as well as creates several new initiatives.

The plan includes expansion of the Proliferation Security Initiative, the one-year anniversary of which was commemorated in the statement made by Polish Ambassador Stanislaw Przygodzki in his statement to the Conference last week. To Ambassador Sanders, the PSI "demonstrates in a concrete way how dozens of countries can agree to work together toward our common security."

The G-8 Action Plan also calls for the expansion of the Global Partnership, the G-8 Plan on Nonproliferation that was announced at its 2002 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, as well as strengthening the IAEA. The G-8 leaders also promoted "universal adherence to the Additional Protocol and making it a condition of supply of nuclear technology." In addition, the Action Plan calls for a one-year moratorium on "new transfers of uranium enrichment and reprocessing technology to additional states," a moratorium that the United States hopes to make permanent.

Lastly, said Ambassador Sanders, the G-8 leaders "also urged all states to implement recently passed Security Council resolution 1540," which requires all states to criminalize proliferation and report to the Security Council on its progress in five months.

After the brief formal plenary, the Conference resumed its informal discussion on negative security assurances before beginning discussion on the next item on its informal plenary agenda: new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons, including radiological weapons.
************************************************
Rhianna Tyson
Project Associate

June 25
Final Edition, Second Session

At the end of the second session of the Conference on Disarmament, various ambassadors stressed the value of the informal plenary sessions that took place throughout these past weeks. As RCW has been on holiday for the past week, this advisory includes summaries of the past two sessions, June 16 and June 23.

All statements can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html.
Be sure to also check out Reaching Critical Will's newly updated Summary of Statements, a useful tool in assessing the positions of each CD Member State on the most pertinent issues facing this negotiating body. The Summary of Statements is available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/topic.html.
And of course, this and all other CD Advisories are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/advisories.html.

On June 16, the Conference heard statements from Mr. Suren Badral, (Mongolia) acting President of the CD, and Ambassador Carlos Miranda of Spain.

In his farewell speech as Permanent Representative of Spain to the CD, Ambassador Miranda expressed his mixed feelings about leaving the Conference. He regrets leaving, "not because I am a cynic or a masochist," he said, tongue-in-cheek, but because he feels very priviledged to have worked on issues of security and disarmament. The informal plenaries that characterized this second session were "without doubt... of huge importance and utility," based not on nationality but on the collective security of the international community.

Mr. Suren Badral, Deputy Permanent Representative, delivered Mongolia's closing statement as President of the CD, while Ambassador Khasbazaryn Bekhbat was in Brazil. Mr. Badral recognized the informal plenaries as "the most fruitful undertakings" and "a serious confidence rebuilding exercise." At the close of this second session, said Mr. Badral, "we find ourselves in a more relaxed mode...we understand each other better... and (understand) what are the new priorities in the disarmament policy of the membership today."

Mr. Badral noted that the 50-year-old "Atoms for Peace" program, has "become... a troublemaker" and should be countered with what he "would dub 'Peace to Atoms.'"

He also called upon all Presidents of the 2004 session to "work together to reflect on and analyze the developments that have taken place both at and outside the Conference during their Presidency" and to build upon the A5 proposal. On June 24, Norway, Poland, Kenya and Nigeria all delivered statements in addition to Morocco, which assumes the next Presidency in the alphabetical rotation. Monglia also delivered a summary of Highlights of the Informal Plenaries that took place under its Presidency.

After the usual thanks and congratulations to his succeeding CD President, Ambassador Bekhbat offered a brief summary of the recent informal sessions on Negative Security Assurances (NSAs) (item 4), new types of weapons including radiological weapons (item 5), and comprehensive programme of disarmament (item 6).

He discussed the polarized- and predictable- views held by States regarding NSAs; many States advocate for a multilateral, unconditional and legally binding instrument negotiated in the CD while some Nuclear Weapon States maintain the view that unilateral declarations and Additional Protocols to Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZs) remain sufficient. Some States favor the NPT as the forum for negotiating a compromise on NSAs while others prefer to deal with assurances within the context of an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament. Some argued that full compliance to the NPT should be a condition for such guarantees while still others maintained that "the importance of security assurances was greatly exaggerated" and not "relevant to today's threats."

The discussion on issue 5 led many to believe that criteria must be established for identifying new weapons of mass destruction. The debate was once again polarized; in one camp, States "remain convinced of the usefulness" of a global ban on radiological weapons, while others doubted "the efficacy" and necessity of such a ban.

In the discussion on "comprehensive programme of disarmament," some suggested that the CD also discuss nonproliferation of both conventional as well as nuclear weapons. Threats against "critical facilities and infrastructure" was also discussed under the framework of item 6.

There was a "lively discussion" on how to continue these informal plenary meetings, which many viewed as "the long awaited sign that, after many years of impasse, the Conference has finally moved forward from discussions on the programme of work to a new stage- that of actually addressing the substance."

Mr. Kjetil Paulsen, Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway, too, offered highlights of the informal plenaries. To Norway, the CD's demonstrated ability to address "so-called new issues" including terrorism, while "even revitaliz(ing)" "old" issues such as radiological weapons, testifies to the potential and sustainable relevance of the CD.

Mr. Paulsen believes that while negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut Off Treaty (FMCT) remain the priority for many delegations, including Norway, "those who advocate the prominence of nuclear disarmament or militarization of outer space have not rejected the importance of FMCT... This should be good news."

To many non-nuclear weapon states, NSAs, remain the utmost priority, and Mr. Paulsen hopes that these concerns will be "seriously taken into account" by the nuclear weapon states, whether "in the context of the CD or the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."

In his farewell speech as Permanent Representative of Poland, Amassador Krzysztof Jakubowski discussed the "new perspectives" on international security that he has assumed since he first took office seven years ago. "The new reality in international security...is still taking shape, as every day we can see new developments of key importance to the global and regional peace and security." He refuted the claim that the CD has failed to do any substantive work. While it is true that the Conference "could not agree on a programme of work...the Conference served as a platform for exchanging views, informing about national positions, broadening mutual understanding (and served as) a perfect confidence-building measure of its own."

Ambassador Jakubowski referred the CD to his statement of February 22, which reaffirms the validity of the CD's work in the face of the "new challenges... (of) terrorism and weapons of amss destruction" and called for "new, innovative thinking" and "new vision."

He urged the Conference to regard a programme of work as "'a schedule of activities' or 'road map'," which will impel "great progress once it is able to make a start."

Kenya's Ambassador Philip Owade used his time on the floor to "underline the importance" of the Landmines Treaty, which is up for its first review in Nairobi, November 29 to December 3. In addition to inviting all CD members to the Review Conference, Ambassador Owade also welcomed "the recent pronouncements by the Governments of China and the United States"- two of the largest hold-out States to the Ottawa Convention- "at the ongoing intersessional meeting reaffirming their support for the principles enshrined in the Convention." He also thanked Ambassador Wolfang Petritsch, President-Designate of the Conference, as well as the Government of Canada, whose "unflinching support... is exemplary and worth singling out."

The Conference resumes its third and final session of 2004 on July 26, 2004.

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Rhianna Tyson
Reaching Critical Will

Third Session

August 3, 2004

The final session of the Conference on Disarmament is usually the most exciting of the three, 7-10 week long meetings. Last year, for example, China and the Russian Federation announced their flexibility to begin negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) even in the absence of parallel negotiations on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS). This year, the United States upheld this "third session tradition" by announcing in the first official plenary that it has at long last completed its policy review on an FMCT.

After calling on Iran and North Korea to dismantle their alleged nuclear weapons programs- (accusations to which both Iran and the DPRK responded with their Right of Reply)- US Ambassador Jackie Sanders reaffirmed her country's commitment to negotiating a legally binding treaty banning the future production of fissile material, yet announced that the US retains "serious concerns" about the possible verification of an FMCT. In the near future, the US will be bringing in a team of technical experts to brief all CD members on the US position regarding verification and an FMCT.

Ambassador Sanders also proposed that the Conference work on negotiations on an international ban on the sale or export of "persistent land mines". Noting that such "persistent" land mines cause between 12,000-16,000 deaths per year, Ambassador Sanders stated that the US is replacing all of its landmines with "non-persistent, self-destructing, self-deactiving mines," and is working within the context of the Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) convention to bring anti-vehicular land mines "under control."

Many States, including Algeria, the Netherlands, the UK, France and Pakistan, expressed their satisfaction that the US has finalized its long-awaited review of an FMCT and looked forward to substantive discussion in these final weeks of the CD year. Mr. Markku Reimaa of Finland, in agreement with the American concerns over persistent landmines, used the opportunity to discuss his country's recent efforts "made in the CCW context."

Recognizing that the US has made an "important contribution...in address(ing) the humanitarian devastation wrought by landmines," Canada believes that the US proposal creates "particular and fundamental difficulties" for the 41 CD Members which are also States Parties to the Ottawa Convention, by encouraging them to "enter negotiations on a lesser ban" which seeks to halt only one category of Anti-Personnel Mines. The Ottawa Convention provides for a much more comprehensive ban which Canada fears may be undermined by the US proposal; Canada is therefore encouraging its southern neighbor to pursue its proposal among non-States Parties to the Ottawa Convention only.

France's Ambassador Rivasseau echoed these concerns, questioning "the impact of this new American proposition" on existing efforts such as the Ottawa Convention and the upcoming review in Nairobi.

Counselor Damien Angelet of Belgium expressed disappointment that the A5 has still not yet been adopted, and supported the proposal to hold informal meetings on the matter in the coming weeks. Canadian Ambassador Paul Meyer reiterated his country's support for the A5 proposal "or any variant thereof that could command consensus support." Canada supports "a starting package" based on the A5, consisting of FMCT negotiations under the Shannon mandate, Ad Hoc Committees on nuclear disarmament and Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space. Such a package would kickstart "the CD back into an operational mode."

On other matters, Ambassador Fernando from Sri Lanka noted her country's accession to the Conventional Weapons Convention, and Russia's Ambassador Skotnikov announced his country's recent ratification of the Conventional Armed Forces Treaty in Europe.

When you're checking out Reaching Critical Will's Conference on Disarmament resources, be sure to also check out our newest edition, "Why the CD Still Matters: What NGOs need to do," by David Atwood, Quaker International. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/atwood.html

All statements are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/index.html.
All CD Advisories, including this one, are available at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/advisories.html
Press releases from UNOG can also be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/press04/pressindex.html
A summary of statements by topic can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches04/topic.html
Reaching Critical Will's Guide to the CD can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/cdbook.pdf
Other background information on the Conference can be found at: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/basicinfo/basicinfoindex.html

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Rhianna Tyson
Reaching Critical Will

August 10

Last week, Japan and Morocco delivered statements to the Conference on Disarmament.

Japan's Ambassador Yoshiki Mine welcomed the statement made by the United States last week concerning its policy review of the Fissile Material Cut Off Treaty (FMCT), "a new window of opportunity for the CD" which Japan "hope(s)...will lead to the commencement of negotiations" on the long awaited treaty.

While the US had stated that they do not believe that verification of an FMCT is achievable, Japan reiterated its belief that an FMCT "should be effectively verifiable...thereby ensuring credibility of the treaty." Japan reminded the CD that both the 1995 and the 2000 NPT Review Conferences called for the commencement of these negotiations, and that verifiability of the treaty is part of the Shannon Mandate, the most likely basis for future negotiations.

Last week the US had also proposed banning the sale and export of persistent landmines, a proposal to which many, including Canada and France (see CD Advisory, August 3), reacted with caution. Japan echoed these concerns, stating that while the US proposal "may have certain significance among non-States Parties to the Ottawa Convention...Japan is of the view that it is important to first work toward the reinforcement and universalization of existing frameworks." (emphasis added).

Ambassador Omar Hilale of Morocco, President of the CD, announced that he would be dis