13 March 2007

Seven high-level officials gave general statements to the Conference on Disarmament (CD) today, including dignitaries from Colombia,Latvia, Iran, Japan, Poland, Viet Nam, and Italy. Japan's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs said the CD should be ready to begin negotiations on a Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in this years second session, with which Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy's Under-Secretary of State, and Poland's Minister for Foreign Affairs largely agreed. Colombia's Vice-President said it was time for the CD to turn "from rhetoric to action" to keep weapons of mass destruction from terrorists. Viet Nam's Assistant Foreign Minister delved into disarmament discussions and Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed the future of the NPT and negotiations on its own nuclear program.

Austria also delivered a statement, primarily on cluster munitions, which it concluded by expressing its hope that "the CD will be able to allow for the meaningful participation of civil society in its work and as a minimum that the traditional address of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom be delivered by a representative of this organization in person."

Beginning Negotiations in 2007 
Poland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Fotyga, called for the CD to consider ideas which could bring them closer to negotiations, as they are approaching the critical phase of evaluating the progress of work in the CD. The CD will be evaluating its work at the end of March, and the six Presidents are beginning consultations now. Japan's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masayoshi Hamada, said it hopes that the discussions of the first part of this year's CD session can be used to launch negotiations in the second. It that it was time to begin negotiations on an FMCT and continue deepening its deliberation on nuclear disarmament, prevention of an arms race in outer space, and negative security assurances. Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Artis Pabriks, also believed that the work done last year, and a "much more engaging approach" this year, should generate sufficient momentum to start negotiations. Italy's Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Vittorio Craxi, agreed that due to the progress from last year and this year, the CD should enter a new phase-the phase of negotiations-on themes that were identified as ripe. Colombia's Vice-President, Francisco Santos Calderón, said that because they suffered from illegal armed groups, for them it is "imperative that the Conference on Disarmament turn from rhetoric to action" to establishment legally-binding instruments to prevent weapons of mass destruction or radiological material from falling into the hands of terrorists. 

Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT)
In the light of the rise of extremism and terrorism, Latvia saw discussions within the Conference on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) as of paramount importance. Japan said that the US proposed mandate and draft Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) has shown potential. Poland, which wants an FMCT considered first, said that without an FMCT, the international non-proliferation and disarmament architecture remains incomplete and therefore can not be fully operable or effective. Poland hoped the Conference could soon reach agreement on the start of negotiations, without setting any preliminary parameters, conditions or restraints. Italy felt that the non-nuclear weapon states had to take the initiative to elaborate a process for proceeding on an FMCT. While Italy acknowledged that an FMCT would not resolve all nuclear problems, it said it would limit stocks of fissile materials and thus prevent a new nuclear spiral. 

Prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS)
Italy recognized that some CD members had other priorities, such as the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS). While waiting for more concrete projects on PAROS, Italy supported the idea of discussing a code of conduct for outer space. Poland said the CD must address PAROS, and "spare no effort" to make peaceful activities in space safe. Latvia said the CD should "make all efforts to explore, in a substantial manner, further possibilities for preventing an arms race in space." Presumably alluding to China's recent anti-satellite test, Japan asked that transparent explanations be provided on activities that can adversely impact the safe operation of space objects, including satellites.

Nuclear disarmament
On nuclear disarmament, Viet Nam and Japan discussed the current situation and encouraged further reductions in nuclear weapons stockpiles, while Iran looked to the future and called for negotiations on a phased program for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Viet Nam's Assistant Foreign Minister, Pham Binh Minh, was concerned that the modernization of nuclear arsenals, the lowering of the threshold for the use of nuclear weapon, and the increased readiness to use force in international relations partly lead to the desire to acquire nuclear weapons. It therefore called on countries with nuclear weapons to assume their responsibilities for international peace and security, and redouble their efforts to reduce their nuclear stockpiles. Japan commended the US and Russia's nuclear reductions based on their steady implementation of the Moscow Treaty, but encouraged both countries to "make further reductions beyond those provided for in that Treaty." Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manouchehr Mottaki, agreed with the Non-Aligned Movement's recent Summit when it said that an ad hoc com on nuke disarmament was its highest priority for the CD. It also emphasized the necessity of starting negotiations on a phased program for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, within a specific framework of time. Iran also called for the discussion of negative security assurances to be reinvigorated at the CD.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
With the first Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of the new review cycle of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) less than two months away, several of the high-level officials addressed it. Japan, which will be chairing the PrepCom, said it intends to "energetically carry out its role as president in order to accomplish constructive discussions for the maintenance and strengthening of the NPT."Poland said the NPT's credibility and strength strongly depend on its full globalization and enhanced implementation and integrity. Poland said the upcoming review process should address "the question of full recognition of the States' right to the use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, while diminishing the acute proliferation risks." Iran, which played a major role in the failure of the 2005 NPT Review Conference, placed the blame for that failure on the United States, which also played an extremely destructive role. It said that despite this total failure, it hopes the PrepCom for the next NPT Review Conference will "take practical steps for paving the way for a successful Review Conference." 

Without naming names, Iran referred to US policies that it said either contravene or undermine the NPT. Iran said the "deployment of hundreds of tactical nuclear weapons...in several European countries and the construction of new facilities for the production of new nuclear warheads, in particular easy-to-use nuclear weapons (Mini Nukes), are in clear contravention of the provisions of the NPT. Moreover, transferring nuclear technology and materials to the non-members of the NPT, whose nuclear facilities are operating outside [International Atomic Energy Agency] IAEA full scope safeguards monitoring contributes to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. This would certainly weaken and undermine the credibility and integrity of the non-proliferation regime."

Arms Trade Treaty 
Colombia and Latvia supported a potential Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Latvia said "establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional weapons through an ATT is a necessary step towards curbing the proliferation of conventional weapons." Colombia said the UN General Assembly's resolution (61/89) opens up a space for borad reflection, consultation, and decision-making, making it possible to harmonize legislation on sales and transport and without impacting legitimate security needs. It said it was necessary to clearly establish the role of state and non-state players in global trade in such a treaty.

Mines and Cluster Munitions
Austria discussed its progressive, far-reaching efforts to regulate cluster munitions, but Latvia and Poland, while wishing to regulate cluster munitions, preferred to confine such discussions to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). Norway recently initiated a process to address cluster munitions with a conference in Oslo, at which 46 of the 49 states present pledged to conclude a legally binding instrument by 2008 to "prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians." Austria told the CD that at that meeting it had announced a national moratorium on the use of cluster bombs and cluster munitions until the elaboration of an adequate international regulation, and declared its intention to organize a follow-up conference, likely in Vienna in early December 2007. Austria intends to uphold this comprehensive moratorium even if a future international convention fails. 

Latvia regretted the unsuccessful attempt to conclude an agreement on mines other than anti-personnel mines (MOTAPM) during theThird Review Conference of the CCW, and even acknowledged the potential positive effect of the Norwegian initiative on cluster munitions, but still considered the CCW to be the most appropriate forum for addressing the issue. It hopes the CCW will start negotiations on a legally-binding instrument to regulate the technical design and characteristics of cluster munitions with a view to minimizing their humanitarian impact. Poland also said the CCW failed to sufficiently address MOTAPM and cluster munitions and sees that "cluster munitions cause unacceptable harm to civilians." However, Poland believes that "the problem can be addressed sufficiently only by means of effective multilateralism. The entire effort will serve its primary task only when we ensure that the instrument is agreed on a global level and all parties, particularly those of critical importance, participate in it." Poland hopes that "the discussions on this issue planned in future will offer an opportunity to strengthen the existing, well established, international mechanisms." 

When considering the possibilities for actually making progress in disarmament, it is important to look at past successes and failures. Austria, which presided over the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, noted that "one of the most successful processes in international disarmament" was unique in two ways. First, it was unique because of the close involvement of civil society in the negotiations, and second, because it was the first disarmament treaty to recognize the needs of survivors, to which Austria attaches great importance.

Regional Issues
Iran, which is facing a second round of sanctions from the Security Council as a result of concerns over its nuclear program, discussed its position in the CD. It also said that "the misuse of the non-proliferation principle as a political tool could in no way lead to the elimination of nuclear weapons," and called the US war against Iraq "clear evidence of the failure of such a policy." When Iran called on the international community to address Israel's nuclear weapons as the real threat to international peace and security, Israel and the US walked out of the CD. Iran said the issue could be resolved through negotiations "without preconditions" [meaning without them suspending uranium enrichment]. It then said that if the Permanent Five members of the Security Council and Germany "refer back Iran's nuclear issue from the Security Council to the IAEA," Iran would "be prepared to offer the necessary guarantees in order to create confidence regarding the non-diversion of its nuclear programme."

Japan reiterated its condemnation of the nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and said that a nuclear-armed Democratic People's Republic of Korea could not be tolerated. North Korea responded the policy of the present Japanese government, which "scattered dark clouds over the promising vision of peace and security of Northeast Asia", could never be tolerated. While Japan noted that progress was being made in the Six Party Talks, it called for continued efforts to fully implement the Joint Statement of September 2005. North Korea said that implementing the Six Party Talks was everyone's responsibility, and that one party pursuing "its own egocentric path for its own purpose" would jeopardize the negotiations.

Schedule for the CD
14 March (Wednesday) 3 pm
    Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria
    Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea
15 March (Thursday) 3 pm
    Secretary for the Human Right and multilateral affairs Mexico 
16 March (Friday) 12:20
    Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain