CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS FROM NIGERIA AND UNITED KINGDOM

Addressing the Conference on Disarmament this morning were Nigeria, speaking on the need for the Conference to quickly agree a programme of work and to make an early start on negotiations for a fissile material treaty, and the United Kingdom, highlighting a recent speech by the Prime Minister on the nuclear fuel cycle, which set out national priorities and achievements.

Angbara Awanen, Nigeria, said that the deadlock in the Conference on Disarmament had yet to diminish its importance, being the only negotiating forum on arms control and disarmament among big and small countries. Indeed, there was not one country that he knew, in or outside of that forum, which would question the wisdom of the collective approach to questions of international security. That was why it was especially important for members to develop and agree on a consensual approach to the important tasks before them. They had started the year well, agreeing on their agenda. The real test was to move beyond that yearly ritual and to begin work on the issues they all agreed were important. Nigeria, like many others, attached priority to the Conference’s quickly agreeing on a programme of work that was balanced and fair and which took into consideration the concerns of all members.

Given the current difficulties in the Conference on Disarmament, it was obvious that progress, any progress at all, would require members to give as much as they expected to take from others, Mr. Awanen observed. That would require a flexibility that came from strong political will that only their capitals could provide. Two years ago, when the Foreign Minister of Nigeria had addressed the Conference, she had laid out Nigeria’s support for a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other explosive devices (FMCT). Today, Nigeria looked forward to an early start of negotiations on an FMCT. It had taken the Conference too long to move from talk to action. This year should be different and adopting a programme of work would appear to be the tonic the Conference on Disarmament badly needed to reinvent itself.

John Duncan, United Kingdom, drew attention to a keynote speech given by United Kingdom’s Prime Minister on 17 March 2009 on the nuclear fuel cycle (for the full text of the speech see the following Web address: http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18631.) In his speech, the Prime Minister had raised the fact that many shared the ambition of a world free from nuclear weapons. But that would not be done in one leap, but in small steps, he had said. The Prime Minister had also drawn attention to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and had said that they could not afford to fail in 2010. He had also said that a fair and even-handed bargain contained two central elements: the right for all nations to acquire civil nuclear power safely, securely and subject to proper multilateral verification processes; and that nuclear weapon states had to set out much more clearly the responsibilities that they also had to discharge.

Britain would also further bring forward detailed plans for the responsible future management of their stocks of fissile material, and as part of the road to the 2010 consultation they would examine how best to deal with those stocks which had accumulated. The Prime Minister had also indicated that they would seek an innovative partnership between industry, academia and Government for further research and development to tackle the technical challenges that were involved in developing a proliferation-proof nuclear fuel cycle. Further, the Prime Minister had drawn attention to the fact that it was import to commence urgent negotiations without preconditions on a fissile material cut-off treaty, and for all States to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He had also announced that, since 1997, the United Kingdom had cut their nuclear warheads by 50 per cent. Also, if it were possible to reduce the number of United Kingdom warheads further, Britain would be ready to do so.

Idriss Jazaïry, President of the Conference on Disarmament, in some closing remarks, cited a saying by Goethe which said that God had given us the nuts but he did not crack them open for us. It would be good if the Conference on Disarmament could crack its nut open and start its substantial work as soon as possible.


The next meeting of the Conference on Disarmament will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 26 March.



For use of the information media; not an official record

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