CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN ELECT OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Conference on Disarmament this morning heard a statement by the Chairman Elect of the First Committee (disarmament and international security) of the General Assembly, Jose Luis Cancela, as well as statements by Bulgaria and France.

Mr. Cancela, who is the Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations in New York, underlined that the sixty-fourth session of the First Committee of the General Assembly would be conducted in a much more constructive atmosphere than previous sessions. He welcomed the initiative of the United States President Barack Obama, who would chair a high-level meeting on non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament on 24 September during the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly.

Mr. Cancela outlined the main objectives he would try to promote in the First Committee with the support of Member States. He indicated that he hoped to make the First Committee maintain the good atmosphere of the past few months in which new agreements would be reached. He hoped to increase the number of resolutions adopted by consensus by the First Committee so that multilateralism would be reinforced. Finally, Mr. Cancela said he would present to the First Committee all the suggestions, recommendations and worries he had heard during his consultations in Geneva.

The new Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the United Nations Office at Geneva also took the floor, as did France.

At the end of the meeting, the President of the Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Christian Strohal of Austria, said the draft annual report of the Conference to the General Assembly had been distributed yesterday.

The next plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament will be held on Tuesday, 8 September at 10 a.m.

Statements

JOSE LUIS CANCELA, Chairman Elect of the First Committee of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session, said over the past few days, he had held consultations with a number of Member States of the Conference, which had allowed him to listen to their suggestions and recommendations as well as their concerns. He noted that the sixty-fourth session of the First Committee would be held in a much more constructive atmosphere than previous sessions. Mr. Cancela referred to the five-point initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to achieve disarmament and avoid the proliferation of nuclear arms. He also referred to the positive atmosphere in the third meeting of the preparatory meeting for the Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Mr. Cancela welcomed the initiative taken by the United States President who would chair a high-level meeting on non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament on 24 September during the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly. He hoped to increase the number of resolutions adopted by consensus by the First Committee so that multilateralism would be reinforced. Finally, he said he would present to the First Committee all the suggestions, recommendations and worries he had heard during his consultations in Geneva.

GANCHO GANEV (Bulgaria) said he was assuming his duties with a clear understanding of the critical juncture at which the Conference on Disarmament stood. Bulgaria had been very enthusiastic when the work programme of the Conference had been adopted in May as it was regarded as a significant breakthrough and an encouraging sign that times were changing for the better. However, Bulgaria shared the sense of dissatisfaction that this progress had been held hostage due to procedural differences.

Bulgaria was aware of the political and security difficulties accompanying the work of the Conference over the past decade, and it continued to attach great importance to the Conference. It had always been their belief that successful disarmament instruments could only be based on consensus. The Conference on Disarmament had an essential role to play because it was a clear expression of multilateralism as a tool promoting a rule-based international system. The international situation was favorable to make progress in the field of nuclear disarmament and the Conference should be able to live up to the expectations of the outside world. It was in the interest of all countries to overcome their differences. It was of paramount importance to successfully conclude this year’s session of the Conference on Disarmament as it would build a bridge of mutual trust to the next year.

ERIC DANON (France) thanked Ambassador Cancela of Uruguay for his presence and work while in Geneva and underlined that France, too, wanted to maintain the positive atmosphere which had been present throughout the 2009 negotiations. France hoped that the problems some had encountered in how to implement the programme of work which was adopted last May would not be encountered in New York to ensure that the First Committee could make progress on different issues. France considered the draft annual report of the Cnference to be completely satisfactory.


For use of the information media; not an official record


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