Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Unofficial transcript,
France, Deputy Representative Sophie Moal-Makame,
20th August, 2009

Madame President, allow me first of all to wish a warm welcoming to the representative of the Netherlands, Ambassador Paul Van den Ijssel. Madame President, almost three months after the adoption by the Conference on Disarmament of the Programme of Work of 2009’s session we also regret to note that despite the agreement reached on May 29 no substantive work has been undertaken since then. The momentum regained after more a decade of unproductive work has once again then broken raising justified questions concerning the genuine will of all of the Member states to reach a success. This missed opportunity has two major consequences.
First, having just been regained the confidence of the international community in the ability of the Conference on Disarmament to contribute effectively to strengthen international security has once again been affected and it may have been affected permanently. Furthermore, and more specifically, the opening of the negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons has been postponed without any deadline being said. However, decision CD 1864 by entrusting the responsibility for those negotiations to a working group of the Conference on Disarmament, had stressed the urgency thereof. The disappointment of my country, Madame President, is thus connected with its ambitions of general disarmament. Once again the prospect is receding of being shared by others for those commitments to no longer produce fissile material, and specific measures in particular, the dismantling of former production facilities which we know are already undertaken. France, Madame President, would like to pay tribute to your tireless efforts which have been a continuation of the initiatives undertaken and supported by previous presidencies and the outstanding spirit of conciliation which you have shown and which is by no means the least of your qualities.

Thank you.