CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT MARKS SIXTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATOMIC BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA

The Conference on Disarmament today marked the sixty-fourth anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The President of the Conference, Ambassador Caroline Millar of Australia, drew attention to the fact that today was the sixty-fourth anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This was a sober reminder to all of the destruction and devastation of nuclear weapons and of the compelling importance of the Conference resuming its work on nuclear disarmament.

Japan said that this day, together with the 9 of August for Nagasaki, was a day to remember the tragedies so that they could renew their determination to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons. Japan also noted that this year there had been a number of encouraging statements and initiatives towards this goal.

The new German Ambassador Hellmut Hoffmann, in his first address to the Conference, said that while they remembered the sixty-fourth anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, there were still some 26,000 nuclear weapons in arsenals around the world, with thousands still on high alert status. Generations had lived and continued to live with the knowledge that their world could be erased in a single flash of light. In the meantime, the technology to build nuclear bombs had spread and continued to spread. It was clear that those holding the vast bulk of nuclear weapons had a special responsibility to take the lead in disarmament efforts. If the Conference could effectively agree on the termination of the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons purpose, it would tackle the issue of nuclear weapons at one of its roots.

United States Ambassador Garold Larson also announced during the meeting that United States President Barack Obama would chair a high-level meeting of the Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament this September.

Also today, the President of the Conference introduced draft decision CD/1870/Rev.1. She said that this draft appeared to be uncontroversial but as it had just been circulated and as not all delegations had had time to review the document, she decided to convene an additional meeting tomorrow morning to adopt the draft decision.

Draft decision on the implementation of CD/1864 for the 2009 session of the Conference on Disarmament (CD/1870/Rev.1) outlines the conduct of work and decision-making under the Conference Working Groups and Special Coordinators and the rotation and equitable geographic representation of office bearers. The draft decision also includes a list of proposed names for the office bearers of the different Working Groups and Special Coordinators. The draft further includes a timetable of activities for the Working Groups and Special Coordinators, up to the end of the 2009 session.

Speaking today were Japan, Germany and the United States.

The next meeting of the Conference on Disarmament will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, 7 August 2009. On Wednesday, 12 August 2009 at 10 a.m. the Chinese Minster for Foreign Affairs, Yang Jiechi, will address the Conference on Disarmament.

Statements

CAROLINE MILLAR (Australia) President of the Conference on Disarmament, welcomed the new German Ambassador, Hellmut Hoffman, and drew attention to the fact that today was the sixty-fourth anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This was a sober reminder to all of the destruction and devastation of nuclear weapons and of the compelling importance of the Conference resuming its work on nuclear disarmament.

AKIO SUDA (Japan) said that today was the sixty-forth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In Japan, this day, together with the 9 of August for Nagasaki, was a day to remember the tragedies so that they could renew their determination to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons. This year there had been a number of encouraging statements and initiatives towards this goal, amongst which were the productive third PrepCom for the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference next May. The Conference on Disarmament, after a decade-long stagnation, had also finally adopted a programme of work. Japan strongly hoped that the Conference would promptly resume its substantive work to bring about a new era of productivity.

HELLMUT HOFFMANN (Germany) in his first address to the Conference, said that the Conference on Disarmament had a long and distinguished history; it was in this forum that crucial treaties had been negotiated and this should not be obscured by the regrettable stagnation the Conference on Disarmament had seen over a lost decade. Now, there appeared to be at last a new willingness among all Member States to finally turn the page. Their joint political aim should be to put the Conference into a position again to fully play its important role. The world was faced with a multitude of risks and threats, and some very crucial ones related directly to the work of this Conference. While they remembered today the sixty-fourth anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, there were still some 26,000 nuclear weapons in arsenals around the world, with thousands still on high alert status. Generations had lived and continued to live with the knowledge that their world could be erased in a single flash of light. In the meantime, the technology to build nuclear bombs had spread and continued to spread.

Germany had been a staunch advocate for disarmament and arms control over many decades and very much welcomed the renewed international interest in advancing the nuclear disarmament agenda. The long term future of the entire global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime would depend on the extent to which the world community could de-legitimize nuclear weapons themselves. It was clear that those holding the vast bulk of nuclear weapons had a special responsibility to take the lead in disarmament efforts. If the Conference could effectively agree on the termination of the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons purpose, it would tackle the issue of nuclear weapons at one of its roots. Germany was willing to take this and all other substantive questions included in the programme of work with a clear perspective of starting negotiations on these issues. They were now only a few centimetres away from starting this important substantial work. Procedural matters should no longer prevent them from doing so.

GAROLD LARSON (United States) announced that United States President Barack Obama would chair a high-level meeting of the Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament this September. This Special Session would occur while the United States held the presidency of the Council. He also hoped that the upcoming work of the Conference on Disarmament would provide a substantive backdrop to this session.

CAROLINE MILLAR (Australia), President of the Conference on Disarmament, introducing draft decision CD/1870/Rev.1, said that this document included a balanced timetable of activities and that the approach taken in this document reflected some principles that delegations had wanted to see included in the document. This draft decision appeared to be uncontroversial and no delegation had raised any objections. The only change in Rev.1 was that the timetable provided now for three weeks instead of two for the consideration of the reports of the working groups and special coordinators, as had been requested by some delegations. As CD/1870/Rev.1 had just been circulated and as not all delegations had had time to review the document, she had decided to convene an additional meeting tomorrow morning to adopt the draft decision.

For use of information media; not an official record

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