CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT DISCUSSES DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT IN PUBLIC PLENARY

The Conference on Disarmament held a public plenary this morning to discuss the adoption of its annual report to the General Assembly. Representatives from South Africa, Germany, Algeria, Pakistan, Iran and the United States focused on the difficulties that remained as barriers to achieving a consensus on the text.

South Africa said it remained hopeful for an agreement, while Germany noted doubts that the Conference could fulfil its mandate. Algeria suggested that playing the consensus rule card effectively blocked progress. Pakistan said it found no reason for the Conference to pronounce its failure at this time, and Iran urged the Conference to choose a realistic approach. The United States expressed the hope that the Conference was as close to consensus as many reflected.


The Council will continue to discuss its draft annual report in closed session this afternoon. The next public plenary of the Conference on Disarmament will be at 10 a.m. on 15 September. On 16 September, the Conference will conclude the third and last part of its 2011 session.


Statements

MICHIEL JOHANNES COMBRINK (South Africa) noted that the Conference was not yet in a position to submit any proposed text, and requested that informal consultations continue. He remained optimistic that with some further flexibility and a continuing spirit of cooperation among colleagues the Conference would be able to submit the remaining paragraphs.

HELLMUT HOFFMAN (Germany) agreed that difficulties remained, and noted that for many years there had been doubt over whether the Conference on Disarmament could fulfil its mandate. He drew attention to the promising developments in disarmament made elsewhere, and to the initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in convening a high-level meeting. He reported that the overwhelming tenor of that meeting was that it was high time for the Conference on Disarmament to get its act together and overcome its stagnation. Mr. Hoffman noted that in a statement on June 1, 2011, Pakistan said, “We fully agree with the Secretary-General that the Conference on Disarmament has failed to make any progress in the past 15 years. It is a great pity that the Conference on Disarmament has not been able to reach consensus”.

HAMZA KHELIF (Algeria) shared the disappointment that the Conference on Disarmament had not been able to undertake substantive work on its agenda, and noted that past work seemed to vanish in new discussions. Playing the consensus rule card without much restraint effectively blocked all suggestions. Algeria hoped that when the Conference dealt with the failure to agree on a programme of work the record would show that expressions of disappointment were made on the plenary floor.

SHAFQAT ALI KHAN (Pakistan) said that since Germany recorded their views on the informal discussion Pakistan must offer theirs as well, and noted that the selective quotations that had been cherry-picked by Germany did not lead anywhere. Pakistan approached the report as a technical report, without any value judgement. Noting that some delegations were mighty keen to report a failure of the Conference on Disarmament, Mr. Ali Khan reported that Pakistan found no compelling reason why the Conference on Disarmament should pronounce its failure at this time.

HAMZA KHELIF (Algeria) thanked Germany and said that Algeria was convinced that the Conference on Disarmament was close to having a consensus-based text. He expressed the belief that the Conference could arrive at appropriate wording that reflected the different viewpoints affecting the Conference.

MOHAMMED HASSAN DARYAEI (Iran) urged the Conference to choose a realistic approach, and to wait until the afternoon to see if the Conference could develop a consensus text that reflected the views of all the distinguished members.

WALTER S. REID (United States) expressed the hope that the Conference was as close to consensus as many reflected, and expressed great respect for the leadership of South Africa.


For use of the information media; not an official record

DC11/044E