June 23rd, 2005

Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil
Statement by Ambassador Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos

Mr. President,

I would like to congratulate you on your initiative of inviting us to make statements on nuclear disarmament, which is the utmost priority for Brazil in this forum.

We were responsible in 2000 for the presentation of the "Amorim Proposal" (CD/1624), which puts great emphasis on nuclear disarmament. Notwithstanding, and with the view of trying to help getting consensus, including from those States that are resistant to any compromise, Brazil is flexible with regards to a program of work. As a compromise offer, we have, since 2004, supported the "A5 Proposal", which puts less strength on nuclear disarmament if compared with the proposal made by Brazil, and, more recently, indicated that the "Food-for-Thought" paper presented by Ambassador Chris Sanders, as an informal derivation from the A-5 proposal, could be a good basis for discussion, in order to lead us to the adoption of a program of work.

The Nuclear Weapon States made an "unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals", which must be honored.

Brazil sees the pursuit of nuclear disarmament as a fundamental tool in addressing the international community's concern about proliferation. Our focus must be on systematic, continuous and progressive efforts to implement the obligation in Article VI of the NPT to pursue negotiations on effective measures on nuclear disarmament. Our endeavors in the Conference on Disarmament should be compatible with the letter and spirit of the NPT, including the decisions, resolution and outcomes of all its previous Conferences.

The 1995 Review Conference of the NPT, as we all know, agreed on the indefinite, but not eternal, extension of the Treaty. In other words, the permanence of the NPT is directly linked to its accountability. Brazil favored on the last Review Conference due consideration of several issues that would facilitate the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. Alas, due to lack of the necessary political will from different quarters, it was not possible to appropriately discuss substantive issues in the VII Review Conference and, much less, to agree on a final substantive document. In spite of that, we still are of the firm opinion that the next Review Conference and the preparatory process that will begin in 2007 should undertake a thorough review of the implementation (or lack of) of the 2000 NPT document, including the agreed "practical steps for the systematic and progressive efforts to implement Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and paragraphs 3 and 4(c) of the 1995 Decision on "Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament". We also call on those few remaining countries that remain outside the NPT to accede unconditionally to this Treaty.

Mr. Chairman,

We are of the belief that the commitments of the signatories of the Moscow Treaty should be further enhanced, such as transforming this agreement from a downloading to a disarmament treaty, dismantling weapons in a transparent way, undertaking not to develop new nuclear weapons and removing "tactical" weapons from their stockpiles. We also believe that the expeditious negotiation by the Conference on Disarmament of a fissile material treaty is a necessity. Different positions on verification should not impede the start of negotiations. Brazil also calls all States that have failed to sign and ratify the CTBT to do so without delay and to refrain from any activities harmful to the Treaty.

By highlighting these suggestions and recommendations, Brazil is being coherent to its long standing posture of privileging multilateral and non discriminatory agreements on security issues.

Mr. President,

Brazil has participated actively and had a leading role in the launching of the initiative to create the very first international nuclear weapon-free zone in an inhabited part of the world, which later would be consolidated under the Treaty of Tlatelolco (Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean). The treaty was opened for signature in 1967. Since 1968, after ratifying it, Brazil has abode by all its rules, although the legal document was only brought into full force in 1994, after all the necessary ratifications.

In May 1980, Brazil and Argentina established a landmark in their relations by signing the first agreement on cooperation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In the ensuing years, additional bilateral exchanges and further strong bonds of mutual understanding and confidence were developed.

The Brazilian Constitution states that nuclear energy in the country can be used for peaceful purposes only. Very few countries, if any, have made a similar commitment at the highest domestic legal level.

In August 1991, Brazil and Argentina signed an Agreement for the Exclusively Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy, which created ABACC (Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials). With the creation of ABACC, both countries pioneered a scheme for bilateral nuclear inspections that is widely seen as a model for various other regions of the globe.

In December 1991, Brazil, Argentina, ABACC and the IAEA signed a Quadripartite Safeguards Agreement, which came into force in 1994. Accordingly, all nuclear materials in all nuclear facilities in both countries were put under strict international safeguards. The Brazilian nuclear program has thus been under IAEA's comprehensive safeguards since 1994, and there was never any doubt about the complete fulfillment of all our international obligations.|

Brazil is of the opinion that the NPT remains, and should continue to be, the cornerstone of our global security regime. The chairmanship of the VII NPT Review Conference by Ambassador Sergio Duarte, a senior and very experienced Brazilian diplomat, was an additional proof of our strong commitment to the Treaty.

In 1998, Brazil was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). We are active members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Brazil is a special case of a country totally committed to nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. At the same time, Brazil strongly advocates the fundamental right of any State Party to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, as enshrined in Article IV of the NPT and in accordance with its articles I, II and III.

I thank you for your attention.