Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Statement by Ambassador Jean- François Dobelle of France to the Conference on Disarmament 24th June 2008

Unofficial Transcript

Thank you Madame President.

Madame President since this is the first time that I have spoken since you have become president of the Conference on Disarmament, allow me first of all to congratulate you on your accession to that office. I would also like to take this opportunity to assure you of the full support of my delegation in the discharge of your duties.

With regard to the program of work of the CD and resolution 18040, I would refer to this statement which was made on behalf of the European Union on 15th May by the Slovenia presidency, a declaration which we of course do support.

Madame President, as you know, in his statement delivered in Cherbourg on 21st March 2008, the President of the French Republic, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, proposed an ambitious disarmament plan and he decided on unprecedented transparency measures on the part of the State possessing nuclear weapons.

The white paper on defense and national security which the President presented on June 17th stresses this once again. France is firmly determined to move forward on that path. At Cherbourg the President propose in particular to invite international experts to come and witness the dismantling of our facilities for the production of military fissile material at Pierrlatter and Marcoule. It is my honor today dear colleagues to renew that invitation to you and I am happy to announce that a visit to those facilities will be organized on September 16. All member states of this forum are invited to send a representative. My delegation will be prepared in the coming weeks to provide all the necessary and practical information.

Madame President, as I stressed in my statement on March 27th, France is using transparency to strengthen confidence. Our commitment to disarmament is reflected in concrete action. The invitation which ahs been renewed to you today once gain shows this. It is because confidence, transparency and reciprocity constitute the very foundation of collective security and disarmament that we call upon the international community to join in the implementation of the plan of action proposed by the President of the Republic.

Thank you Madame President.