Seminar on the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission Report

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,

Allow me to welcome you to this special seminar organized by UNIDIR for the presentation of the findings of the Report of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. I am particularly pleased to welcome Dr. Hans Blix, who chaired the Commission during the past two years. His personal commitment to disarmament, his leadership and unfailing energy are in great measure responsible for bringing this milestone Report to life. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Blix on the finalization of the Report, which was presented earlier this month to the United Nations Secretary-General. The Report was also presented to Mr. Jan Eliasson in his capacity as both Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the UN General Assembly. I wish to also extend my sincere appreciation for organizing this seminar to Patricia Lewis, the Director of UNIDIR, who, as you all know, served in her personal capacity as one of the 14 members of the Commission.

In a period that certainly will not be regarded by history as a productive one in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, the report “Weapons of Terror” is a timely and most needed contribution to our efforts to stem and reverse the proliferation of the most dangerous weapons this world has ever known. It not only offers an accurate analysis of the dangers posed by weapons of mass destruction, in particular by nuclear weapons, but it moves beyond the identification of these dangers. It provides a number of valuable and practical recommendations aimed at making progress in certain areas, consolidating others and jump-starting the necessary processes in many others still.

During the past decade there has been a serious and dangerous loss of momentum in disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. Treaty-making, as we clearly see from the unfortunate record of the Conference on Disarmament, as well as implementation, have been stalled. Why ‘unfortunate’? Because for more than eight years the Conference on Disarmament has been unable to draft a single document on strategic disarmament. Yet strategic disarmament is not only the core of disarmament in general, but also a key factor in building confidence, improving relations among states and consequently enhancing security and promoting development.

What we are witnessing today is a de facto revival of the arms race, however, in a different political context. According to SIPRI, the world annually spends over 1.1 trillion US dollars for arms; and the continuing sophistication of the basic sword and shield is proceeding unabated.

And all this despite the fact that over the years, the international community has created a large body of law - treaties, conventions, regimes - to contain the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Treaties such as the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, Chemical Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are just a few examples.

While these instruments have played a positive role in trying to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the disarmament machinery is in urgent need of revamping. This has become very clear, as shown by the failure to reach agreement at last year’s NPT Review Conference, and in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document on disarmament and non-proliferation issues, as well as the very poor harvest of achievements at the Conference on Disarmament, in this very room, in the course of the past eight years.

There is an urgent need to revive meaningful negotiations through all available intergovernmental mechanisms, in particular at the Conference on Disarmament and to reaffirm the importance of the NPT.

Major issues that need to be tackled in today’s ever changing world are the proliferation, and continuing possession, of nuclear weapons. As indicated in the report of the Commission, unlike biological and chemical weapons, which have been outlawed by the international community, nuclear weapons have not. Due to the security concerns in today’s world, not least the threat of their diversion by non-state actors, it is crucial that the international community work together to ensure that they do not proliferate in any way and make sure that they do not fall into the hands of terrorists.

These goals will continue to be elusive without concerted efforts to prohibit the production of fissile material, and prohibit nuclear weapons tests by bringing the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty into force.

Preventing an arms race in outer space and preserving it exclusively for peaceful purposes has been a concern of the international community for over fifty years. Despite the conclusion of the key 1967 Treaty on the Principles of the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and of other important legal instruments on this subject, the long-sought prohibition of weapons in outer space is still eluding us. Yet, the urgency of the issue only grows, since military use of outer space can have a negative effect on strategic stability.

The level of scientific and technological development today is such, that even ostensibly civilian use of outer space carries with it the dangers posed by dual-use technology, something that we should not neglect either.

These and many other compelling reasons dictate the need for the Conference on Disarmament to work to prevent an arms race in space. There are plenty of practical options, modalities and possibilities. What is needed is political will on the part of the Member States.

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,

As we all are eager to hear the presentation of the main actor of this report, Dr. Blix, I would like to limit my comments to these and thank you for this opportunity to address you today.