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26 January 2006
Netherlands, Ambassador Johannes C.
Landman
Mr. President, I read with interest the message that you circulated
among delegates at our opening session by the Secretary-General
of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, the message in which in particular
he urges us to encourage our Foreign Ministers to address the Conference
this year. In connection with this message I have three questions.
My first question is, when was the last time that the Secretary-General
of the United Nations addressed this body? My second question is:
this text was circulated because our Secretary-General, that is,
the Secretary-General of the CD, was absent, and there was no explanation
given. Absent at what I consider a very important meeting, the opening
session of this body. Now, this is not a bridge club. This is not
a tea party. This was once one of the central bodies for peace in
the world, and we want it to become that again. So when there are
serious reasons for absences, private or otherwise, we need to know
them. We have a right to know them. My third question is that we
had a Deputy Secretary-General, the Director of DDA here. We all
know he has left. Now there are already quite some unfulfilled vacancies
in the realm of DDA in our secretariat, so I am quite worried and
quite interested in what the state of play is. When can we expect
a new Deputy Secretary-General/Director here in Geneva?
The point addressed here, the starting point, encouraged our Ministers
to come. I am afraid I am absolutely and utterly unable to do so
under the present circumstances. We really have to show first that
we are worth it, that we have something to show for it, and I must
confess in this connection that sometimes, in this beautiful room,
I raise my eyes to heaven and I see the beautiful work of José María
Sert crumbling. I hope it is not symbolic.
Norway, Minister Kjetil Paulsen
Congratulations, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency
of the Conference. I, too, would like to comment briefly on the
Secretary-General’s absence on Tuesday, but perhaps from a slightly
different perspective than the Netherlands. I do not think his absence
was an indication of any particular characteristic of the Secretary-General,
but perhaps an indication of some characteristics of this Conference.
The Conference on Disarmament is not a subsidiary body of the General
Assembly of the United Nations. It is not a part of the United Nations
system whatsoever. The Conference is, however, financed by the United
Nations, and these financial resources have been wasted for a number
of years. This is the fault of Governments, not the fault of the
United Nations or the Secretary-General. So, instead of regretting
the Secretary-General’s absence on Tuesday, I welcome him to this
Conference if and when we start delivering meaningful arms control
negotiations and thereby justifying our share of the United Nations
regular budget.
France, Ambassador François Rivasseau
(translated from French): Mr. President, allow me to congratulate
you on the launching of our Conference’s work this year. You have
a burden on your shoulders which is particularly heavy, and for
some months expectations have been expressed concerning the enhanced
activities which are necessary here in 2006. I commend you for taking
on this difficult task and I would ask you also to convey my congratulations
to the five Presidents who will be assisting you and succeeding
you in the course of the year, as well as the Friends of the Presidents
that you will appoint.
We consider that a coordinated approach by the six Presidents of
this forum on a timetable of activities for the year ahead which
would make it possible to discuss in a continuous and iterative
manner in plenary sessions all the issues submitted to the Conference
is a positive and new element. You have announced it and, in the
unsatisfactory state of affairs in which our Conference finds itself
today, my delegation believes that the activities of successive
Presidents, if structured in a coordinated manner around effective
use of all the powers under the rules of procedure, can offer a
prospect of progress for our forum.
During the opening meeting of the 2006 session two days ago, you
called on us to provide this forum with new avenues for our work
and reflection, and in that spirit we have endeavoured not only
to listen to you but to respond to that appeal. As you know, for
a number of years France has been engaged in a review of critical
civil infrastructure jointly with Switzerland. Our two countries
hope to be able to consult all the delegations present here on this
matter in a completely informal way, before officially introducing
our thinking on this question. To this end our two delegations will
be organizing a meeting next Wednesday at 3.30 p.m. within the Palais.
I understand the room number has not yet been determined. I would
like to thank the Conference secretariat for its cooperation, and
we will keep you informed as soon as possible of the number of the
room in which this meeting is to be held. The delegation of Switzerland
and myself have the honour to invite you to that event.
Germany, Ambassador Bernhard Brasack
Congratulations from the German delegation, Mr. President, on the
assumption of your high office, and I must say that I have already
been witness of a very impressive effort of yours, and also of your
future colleagues, to get to work early on and to try to do what
is possible. Certainly this delegation is very supportive of this
and continues to be as supportive as possible.
I just wanted to take this opportunity, as you asked us to recap
briefly where we are with what we are supposed to do. Germany considers
that the CD agenda again adopted yesterday, which is basically based
on the Decalogue, is still appropriate for dealing with the current
disarmament and security issues. Germany considers the so-called
“core issues” - nuclear disarmament, negative security assurances,
a fissile material cut-off treaty and the prevention of an arms
race in outer space - still topical, since they are essential on
the international agenda, also in the light of the changed international
environment we face today. The fact that these issues have been
so long on the international agenda proves how complex and demanding
they are, and at the same time how important and relevant.
A comprehensive approach, taking into account the differing priorities
and security concerns, constitutes the most realistic and feasible
way out of the stalemate in the CD. The revised A-5 proposal for
a programme of work, as contained in document CD/1693/Rev.1, in
our view still enjoys the widest cross-group support, since it accommodates
the various positions, concerns and priorities of the CD members,
as stated on various occasions. In particular, the “cut-off” issue
is ripe for the immediate commencement and early conclusion of a
non-discriminatory universally applicable FMCT, without preconditions
and bearing in mind the Special Coordinator’s report and the mandate
included therein. I would also refer to the EU common position that
was distributed last summer as an official document in this very
Conference, since there is already an agreed mandate in place. Nevertheless,
Germany remains open to any compromise solution, provided that it
enjoys the necessary consensus.
Germany supports your intention, Mr. President, together with the
other incoming Presidents, to coordinate their work to provide the
maximum degree of coherence and continuity. Structured, focused
and more interactive debates, with a balanced division of time allocation
to the different issues, are the best approach.
It is the task of every CD President to explore the feasibility
of possible alternatives to bring the CD back to substantive work.
However, this should be done as a possible addition, not as a substitute
for the current issues on our agenda, and only if it increases the
basis for consensus.
Algeria, Secrétaire diplomatique Hamza
Khelif
(translated from Arabic): I have asked for the floor to seek clarification
from the distinguished Ambassador of France concerning the meeting
to be held by the Governments of France and Switzerland on the subject
of critical civil infrastructure. He suggested Wednesday. Firstly,
in what framework will the meeting be held? Secondly, just to make
sure that we are not prevented from attending the meeting and participating
in the discussions, I would like to inform the two delegations that
the Group of 21 normally holds its meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays.
China, Ms. Deng
(translated from Chinese): Mr. President, the Chinese delegation
would like to extend congratulations to you on your assumption of
the presidency of the CD and express appreciation of your efforts
in promoting progress in the work of the Conference. It is my belief
that, with your rich diplomatic experience and outstanding capabilities,
you will surely move the Conference forward. My delegation would
like to assure you of its full cooperation.
On this occasion I would also like to convey congratulations to
you from Mr. Cheng Jingye, China’s newly appointed Ambassador for
Disarmament Affairs.
The programme of work of the CD has been under discussion for years.
We are here at the start of the 2006 session to make renewed efforts
to achieve consensus. I would like to set out some aspects of my
delegation’s position on the programme of work.
First, the programme of work should not reflect the wishes of a
minority of States, but the common desire of all member States and
the international community at large. Four traditional issues -
namely PAROS, NSA, nuclear disarmament, FMCT - have been with us
for a long time: there is a legal basis for starting negotiation
on them, and also a foundation of willingness to do so. Experience
shows that starting to negotiate only on issues of interest to oneself
while neglecting or ignoring issues of concern to others does not
lead anywhere. The only way out of the current difficult situation
for the CD is to take fully into consideration the concerns of all
parties and adopt a comprehensive, balanced programme of work.
Two: in relative terms, the five Ambassadors’ proposal is a balanced
one. For the time being it enjoys wide support and is the likeliest
to win consensus. The Chinese side accepted the proposal, showing
flexibility and making significant concessions, so as to break the
stalemate in the CD. It will continue to support the establishment
of a programme of work based on the A-5 proposal.
Three: the risk of weaponization of outer space is increasing with
each passing day. The international community has made enormous
efforts to prevent the weaponization of outer space and an arms
race in outer space. China favours the negotiation of a legal instrument
to prevent the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space.
As the body mandated by the United Nations to negotiate disarmament
and arms control affairs, the CD is the most suitable forum for
such negotiation. It should start substantive work as soon as possible.
This being so, China cannot go along with the proposal by the Peruvian
Ambassador and former CD President to weaken the mandate of the
ad hoc committee on the subject.
France, Ambassador François Rivasseau
(translated from French): We are ready to adjust the timetable
slightly, I think, in agreement with the Swiss delegation, and possibly
to put it back later in the afternoon, to find a time that would
allow for the broadest possible attendance, which is what we want,
and for which we would be grateful to delegations. As to the nature
of the meeting, as I have said, this would be an informal consultation
and information meeting, as there have been within this Palais for
some years on other topics. Obviously this would in no way be an
official activity of the Conference, but simply an informal meeting,
just as we have had seminars here which allow us to bring together
as many views as possible in the most frank and informal manner,
with the benefit that they indicate the most promising way forward.
Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General
of the CD
I would like to answer the questions posed by the Permanent Representative
of the Netherlands. I think he asked questions that are pertinent
to be asked. First, he asked when the Secretary-General had addressed
the Conference on Disarmament, and he asked why the Secretary-General
of the Conference on Disarmament - that is, me - was not present,
and then he asked when we expected the new Deputy Secretary-General
of the Conference.
As to his first question, when the Secretary-General of the United
Nations had addressed the Conference, I would tell you that I do
not exactly remember the year, but it was in the last century, and
the problem is not that the Secretary-General does not respect the
Conference on Disarmament. The Secretary-General firmly believes,
like myself, that the Conference on Disarmament, being the effective
instrument on strategic arms control and disarmament, can save the
world billions of dollars that it needs for the development of the
environment, for health, education and so on and so forth.
We all at the United Nations - and I am talking now not only as
the Secretary-General of your Conference, but I am talking as the
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations - since the last century,
we all have been expecting this august body to produce. Unfortunately,
because of the positions - and you know better than I - of the member
States, there are no such results, so obviously, you can hardly
ask the Secretary-General of the United Nations to go to address
a body that is not producing anything but procedural debate.
You are not a very political body any more, and you have to be
aware of that because you are not adopting political decisions,
and because of that the Secretary-General is not coming to address
your body. If you had made progress, there would be no question
about the Secretary-General attending this Conference and encouraging
you to make more progress, more ingenuity, more substantive results.
As to my personal problem, I would not like to publicly explain
my personal health issues, but I will tell you that very unfortunately,
my doctors did not allow me to go anywhere except for an urgent
medical check-up that day. But even if I had read the message of
the Secretary-General, which I have done for four years, what happened
during my four years here? Do you think the problem is because I
did not read the message of the Secretary-General or because you
have a position as a member State? What is the problem?
Once, 30 years ago, when I was a younger diplomat, I used to work
at the Committee dealing with the rules of procedure of the General
Assembly, and I remember we tried very hard for one year. We moved
the rules of procedure and we moved this and we changed that and
we amended another rule. Eventually, the result was nothing. But
we are supposed to deal with the procedure according to our mandate.
You are supposed to deal with the procedure. You are supposed to
deal with the substance. I am sorry to say that substance is lacking
in this august body.
You were talking about this nice room, which is probably having
some negative effect on the negative debates. As the Director-General
of this Office of the United Nations, I gave you the best room we
have. It’s the number one room in the whole Palais, because there
were attempts to get this room for another body, but I still had
hope, and I still hope, that this room might help you, because I
see no other possibility that can help you. I see from your debate
that only the miracle of this room might help you. I hope it will
one day. And thank you very much for asking this question.
As to the problem of the Deputy Secretary-General, it is an unfortunate
problem of United Nations bureaucracy. The person who was selected
refused, and now they are in the process of selecting another person.
I will tell you that it is not my prerogative. That is again an
absurdity of the United Nations bureaucracy. We are working in Geneva,
but they are taking decisions in New York in the Department of Disarmament
Affairs. So the Department of Disarmament Affairs has not yet presented
the candidatures to the Secretary-General and then eventually to
you the candidate to replace Mr. Román-Morey. But as far as I understand,
being in contact with the people from the Department for Disarmament
Affairs, that will happen quite soon.
Once again, thank you very much for raising these questions.
Netherlands, Ambassador Johannes
C. Landman
Of course, all the best and best wishes with respect to those serious
health problems, which I am sure will be of a timely character.
Thank you very much also, Mr. Secretary-General, for being so open
in your reply. The difference in perception is not that great because
the only thing which I noted was I found it a little bit incongruous
on one hand to urge us to have our Ministers here and then be absent
oneself. For exactly the same reasons I explained, I am unable to
recommend my Minister to come to Geneva at this stage.
There is one point I would like to address in your remarks, and
that is with respect to the efforts you are making in revitalizing
this body, and I am surely, as an art lover, very appreciative of
that. Also for that reason, I hope you will do something about the
work of José María Sert, because it is a pity, and it will increase
if you do not do something about it, and that is in your power as
Director-General of the United Nations Office here.
But my point is that the performance of this body is also linked
to the performance of an efficient and very competent secretariat,
and that is your responsibility, Mr. Secretary-General, and I trust
that you will convey also, with respect to this particular problem,
the urgency of having a good and competent Director here as soon
as possible.
France, Ambassador François Rivasseau
(translated from French): I am not sure that the discussion we
have just had was very conclusive. I would like to inform my Dutch
colleague that in France we have a great deal of respect for the
motto of the House of Orange in the Netherlands: “One need not hope
in order to undertake, nor succeed in order to persevere.” It is
in this spirit that my delegation would not rule out asking for
a ministerial intervention this year, depending on developments
that may occur, and already intends to participate actively with
experts from capitals in the discussions in an appropriate fashion,
as you have suggested to us, Sir. I think that we all need to work
with this in mind.
I would also like to extend my best wishes to the Secretary-General
of the Conference. He took off his hat as Secretary-General of the
Conference in order to speak as Under-Secretary-General of the United
Nations. He spoke from the heart, and nobody can reproach him for
doing so, but he knows as well as anyone that he is here only as
the Secretary-General of the Conference, because we are a sovereign
body, and in this context, it would appear to me to be useful to
echo the wishes expressed by my Dutch colleague concerning the representation
of DDA here. We have a universally appreciated representative of
DDA here and we are therefore in a position to work normally. I
must point out that, as a sovereign body, it is customary for the
name of the Deputy Secretary-General to be put to the groups in
this Conference to allow us to verify that his or her professional
skills are in line with our high expectations, and hence I am convinced
that the procedures will be respected here again this time.
Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary
General of the CD
I would like to thank the representative of France for raising
this issue, which I have been raising for a number of months: to
find as soon as possible a replacement for the Deputy Secretary-General,
who will be dealing with this problem.
To my colleague from the Netherlands, I would like to say that
the present secretariat and the present Secretary, Mr. Zaleski,
are working quite well. All of you have known him for many years,
and if it had been a problem of the secretariat not performing well
for the Conference, then we would have amended the things as quickly
as possible in a couple of days. The problem is different. The problem
is that the Conference is not performing well, and I can tell you
very frankly, as my colleagues and friends, that that is why we
have these issues and questions of a procedural nature that are
mounting every day, every month, every year. Do not forget that
we are the Conference on Disarmament.
Jerzy Zaleski, Department of Disarmament
Affairs
Mr. President, as you mentioned, I would like to share with the
delegations some information on the organizational aspects of this
year’s session of the Conference on Disarmament.
As in previous years, the Conference will be provided with two
meetings a day with simultaneous interpretation in all official
languages of the United Nations (one in the morning and one in the
afternoon). The duration of the meetings should be kept within the
established limits of three hours.
Meetings of the Conference will be held in the Council Chamber.
If required by delegations, additional conference rooms may be provided
upon request. In such cases, reservations should be made in advance
through the secretariat.
I would like to inform you that the secretariat of the Conference
on Disarmament has been notified by the Chief of the Central Planning
and Coordination Service of the United Nations Office at Geneva
that “the recently adopted budget of the United Nations will place
a number of new constraints and restrictions on the capacity of
Conference Services to deliver services as it did in the past. In
particular, unscheduled meetings, ad hoc information consultations,
meetings beyond regular hours, meetings on non-working days and
extended meetings or sessions will most likely not be serviced.
Also, documents submitted late will not, as a matter of course,
be processed ahead of the ones submitted in accordance with the
10-week rule.”
Accordingly, delegations are requested to strictly observe measures
on the rational and economical issue and use of documentation. In
particular, all documents that are to be issued as official documents
of the Conference should be submitted to the secretariat, together
with their electronic versions, well in advance, to facilitate the
work of the secretariat. Any duplication of documentation should
be avoided. Furthermore, in order to avoid the translation of the
same document twice, delegations are kindly requested to inform
the secretariat if any document to be issued in the Conference on
Disarmament has already been submitted for issuance in any other
United Nations body, particularly at Headquarters in New York. I
would also like to emphasize that United Nations regulations do
not permit the publication of statements delivered by delegations
at plenary meetings as separate documents. Such statements are always
reproduced in the verbatim records and are, ipso facto, part of
the official documentation of the Conference on Disarmament.
As in previous years, in order to reduce the operating costs, only
documents containing draft proposals which require action at the
meetings will be circulated in meeting rooms. A limited number of
pre-session and reference documents will continue to be supplied
to member States and States not members of the Conference invited
to participate in its work. Therefore, delegations are requested
to keep the copies they receive throughout the annual session and
use them during the meetings.
I would also like at this stage to appeal to delegations to clear
their pigeonholes to allow for the distribution of new documents.
Delegations are also encouraged to use more frequently electronic
versions of the documents of the CD, which can be downloaded from
the Official Documents System (ODS) and are also available on the
website of the Conference on Disarmament.
Finally, I would like to appeal to all delegations to send the
secretariat of the Conference their letters of accreditation as
soon as possible, so as to expedite the publication of the list
of participants. Last but not least, delegations are kindly requested,
for security reasons, to carry with them their identification badges
provided by the United Nations Office at Geneva.
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