7 February 2006

 

The PRESIDENT: I declare open the 1002nd plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament.

At the outset I would like to extend a cordial welcome to Ambassador Cheng Jingye of China, who has recently assumed the responsibilities as the representative of his country to the Conference on Disarmament . Ambassador Cheng presented his credentials 15 minutes ago to the President of the Conference. I wish to take this opportunity to assure him of our cooperation and support in his new assignment. Welcome.

We have all been deeply saddened to learn of the sinking of the Egyptian ferry, Al Salam Boccaccio 98, in the Red Sea early Friday last week. The ship, which was en route from Duba, Saudi Arabia, to Safaga, Egypt, was reportedly carrying approximately 1,400 people, of whom many have lost their lives. On behalf of the Conference on Disarmament and on my own behalf, I extend the most sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Government of Egypt. May I now invite you to join me in a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the sinking of the Egyptian ferry?

The PRESIDENT: Today the Conference will continue its general debate on any subject related to the Conference on Disarmament. I have the following speakers for today's plenary meeting: the Ambassadors of France, Nigeria, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway.

Norway, Minister Kjetil Paulsen

I, too, would like to extend my delegation's condolences to the Egyptian delegation in relation to the terrible tragedy that took place in the Red Sea a few days ago.

The delegation of Australia proposed last week that the Conference on Disarmament consider the illicit transfer and unauthorized access to and use of man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), with a view to developing measures to combat this. On this occasion I would like to express my delegation's support for this proposal, for several reasons. Firstly, as pointed out by the Australian Ambassador, MANPADS is a weapon system which is highly attractive to terrorists. It has been used on a number of occasions against civilian aircraft and has cost hundreds of lives. Secondly, MANPADS is a defined weapon category which practically could be placed under agreed international restrictions. Thirdly, national and regional efforts are already being undertaken in order to regulate the production, transfer and use of MANPADS. Best practices and lessons learnt could be a basis for moving this agenda forward also in the CD. And finally, there is already an international consensus on MANPADS, in the United Nations General Assembly, which provides the CD with an opportunity to examine this issue and develop non-proliferation measures. This consensus should encourage all of us not to make MANPADS hostage to other extremely important, but non-consensual issues on the CD's agenda. MANPADS can and should be considered on their own merits.

Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Ali (translated from Arabic):

Our delegation is taking the floor for the first time during your term of office, Sir, so may I offer you my congratulations on your assumption of the responsibilities of your post? In addition, I should like to offer the Egyptian delegation my sincere condolences in the matter of the sinking of the Egyptian ferry.

Following the adoption of the agenda, we heard a number of delegations proposing new or additional topics for consideration, although logic would suggest that those items ought to have been proposed prior to the formal adoption of the agenda. We have, of course, referred these various proposals to our capitals for appropriate instructions as to the positions we are to take on them. And, that being the case, we feel that no consensus exists within the CD for consideration of these new topics within the CD at the moment. We require instructions from our capitals and discussions within our regional groups before a consensus can be reached with respect to whether these topics should be addressed, and if so, how they should be addressed.

Egypt, Mr. Aboul-Enein (translated from Arabic):

I would like to express warm thanks to the Secretary-General of the Conference and the Ambassador of Poland, the President of the CD, as well as other heads of delegation for the sincere condolences they have conveyed to us and their words of sympathy for the relatives of the people who died in the sinking of the ferry Al Salam in the Red Sea a few days ago. I shall take steps to convey the condolences of the Conference on Disarmament to the Egyptian Government in that connection.

Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary General of the CD

I would like to inform you that the Secretary General has approved the selection of Mr. Timothy Caughley as the Director of the Conference on Disarmament Secretariat and Conference Support Branch, and that means he is Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Disarmament. Ambassador Caughley will assume his duties following the finalization of the necessary administrative procedures.

Let me first express my congratulations to Ambassador Caughley. We would like to welcome him to our team, and to those delegations that expressed particular concern over the issue of an understaffed secretariat, it will be especially heartening news, I suppose. I believe that this is a problem that has been solved for some time within the secretariat, and now the secretariat is anxiously looking at the member States to solve one of its many issues.