Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Unofficial transcript
Mexico, Deputy Representative Mabel Gómez Oliver
20 August 2009

Thank you Madame President.
Allow me before beginning my statement to give a hearty welcome to Ambassador Paul van den IJssel, for the Netherlands to the Conference and to Geneva. You can count upon the support of Mexico in carrying out your duties, Mr. Ambassador.

Madame President,
I wish to express the gratitude of my Delegation for great professionalism, commitment and dedication with which you have led the work of this Conference. In particular, Mexico appreciates the efforts you have made to ensure that this forum can shortly begin substantive work in order to contribute significantly to international peace and security.

I also acknowledge the efforts made by the other Ambassadors who are members of the P6 Platform of this year, 2009. Like you, Madame President, each of them individually and through joint work, has made his or her invaluable contribution to building the path we have traced out throughout these past months. In which, apart from important fact of adopting the Programme of Work, we have had clear signals on the part of 64 Members in favour of its early implementation.

Madame President,
We consider that the consensus which can be reflected in the programme adopted, by the Conference on the 29th of May, thus reflects a careful balance of interests and concerns of the 65 Members States of this forum. This also reflects the flexibility shown by all, in having made concessions in concerning our ideas and views, about the way in which we think the themes should be tackled by this Conference, should be reflected and channelled.

We all agree and we all concede in one way or another with the idea of attempting to build a necessary consensus, which will mean that that this Conference can perhaps make a significant contribution in each of the themes on our work programme, reflected in specific steps towards our joint objective of a world free of nuclear weapons.

The facts facing up today are unfortunate, whereas in other latitudes and other fora we enthusiastically note the encouraging signs and new perspectives to move forward for a safer world. In this room, which is inconsistent with the progress we achieved last May, we are faced with the impossibility of adopting a nearly procedural decision.

Madame President,
Mexico is not at all failing to take account of the national concerns and security interests of States. We do hope that once we have begun our substantive discussions, these concerns and interests will permeate the debate and will be present when finding possible future results, that can be achieved by the Conference in dealing with each of the issues.

Nonetheless, the fact that the Conference is prevented from achieving consensus on procedural issues, which in turn prevents us from beginning our substantive work, is from all view points unfortunate. Irrespective of the sensitivity that each of us may have about the secret interests and concerns of each and every one of the States here represented.

It is therefore clear to us that we will still have to work intensively on creating consensus. For this purpose, it will be essential to have the political will and sufficient flexibility on the part of all States, if in fact we do wish to make progress, to reach our common objective, which has been defined as a nuclear free world. This will mean strengthening peace and security for all.

Our priority is, and must be, that of ensuring that this disarmament Conference takes up the noteworthy role, it should have in the context of the new negotiating prospects that can be noted. Let us not allow it to become hostage to procedural notes and rules. It would be unfortunate for this forum to fail to make the developments we hope for so sincerely, which may soon give fruit in the field of nuclear disarmament. It would be even worse if the fact that it would be impossible to make progress in this forum, would be reflected in obstacles other for a, in which we hope to make a decisive contribution to strengthening the disarmament and non proliferation regime.

Madame President,
We haven’t lost hope that very shortly conditions will prevail to return to this Conference the role it should be playing in multilateral disarmament negotiations. Mexico repeats its full readiness to provide any necessary support to the P6 and in particular to its President and the advisor Christian Strohal, Ambassador of Austria. With a view to these consultations shortly to result in a solution of the situation with which we are confronted. We are convinced that there is still time to restore the credibility of this Conference and even to the outset.

I finalize, Madame President, by referring to a comforting and encouraging fact. Amongst the very positive developments that we noted in the international community, concerning disarmament, my Delegation wishes to highlight and express its gratitude to the countries of the African continent for the entry into force, last 15th of July, of the Pelindaba Treaty, establishing a nuclear-weapons free area in Africa. With this, the Southern Hemisphere as a whole will be free of these weapons. No doubt Africa will be showing its commitment nuclear disarmament and non proliferation and I invite other States to acknowledge this fact.

Thank you.