CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENTS FROM ITS PRESIDENT, KAZAKHSTAN, CUBA ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 21 AND INDIA

The Conference on Disarmament today heard an update by its President and statements by Kazakhstan, Cuba on behalf of the Group of 21 and India on the issue of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

The President of the Conference, Ambassador Mazlan Muhammad of Malaysia, said it was clear to him from his consultations that it was preferred that the report of the co-chairs of the informal working group on a programme of work be documented in the co-chairs’ personal capacity, rather than seeking adoption of the report by the Conference. He thus proposed that the Conference take note of the report, which he would in his capacity as President of the Conference and Chair of the informal working group submit to the secretariat with a request that it be distributed as a document of the Conference. He did not intend to propose a draft programme of work but would seek to focus their work in what remained of the 2014 session on the completion of the Conference’s annual report to the General Assembly.

Kazakhstan said it joined the appeal of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 29 August 2014 to put an end to all nuclear testing and would continue to work to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. Cuba, on behalf of the Group of 21, underscored the urgent need to commence negotiations on nuclear disarmament in the Conference without delay, adding that pending the achievement of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, there was an urgent need to reach an early agreement on a legally binding instrument to assure non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. India said it considered the Conference on Disarmament as the appropriate forum for the commencement of negotiations on nuclear disarmament through the establishment of a subsidiary body with a mandate agreed by consensus, as part of a comprehensive and balanced programme of work.

The Conference approved a request by Saudi Arabia to participate in the third part of the 2014 session of the Conference as an Observer State.

At the end of the public plenary, the Conference started drafting its annual report to the General Assembly in a closed meeting. The next plenary of the Conference will be held on Tuesday, 9 September at 10 a.m. The third and last part of the 2014 session of the Conference on Disarmament will conclude on Friday, 12 September.

Statements

Ambassador MAZLAN MUHAMMAD of Malaysia, President of the Conference on Disarmament, updating the Conference on the consultations that he had been carrying out, said he had consulted Member States on the best way forward in dealing with the report of the informal working group to produce a programme of work as mandated by CD/1974. He thanked the informal working group’s co-chairs. Notwithstanding their commendable efforts, no consensus had emerged on a programme of work. The President said he did not intend to propose a draft programme of work, but would seek to focus their work in what remained of the 2014 session on the completion of the Conference’s annual report to the General Assembly. It was clear to him from his consultations that it was preferred that the report of the co-chairs of the informal working group be documented in the co-chairs’ personal capacity, rather seeking adoption of the report by the Conference. He thus proposed that the Conference take note of the report, which he would in his capacity as President of the Conference and Chair of the informal working group submit to the secretariat with a request that it be distributed as a document of the Conference.

Kazakhstan extended congratulations to all on the occasion of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, that took place on 29 August. Kazakhstan’s objective was to work out additional means to further consolidate multilateral efforts to outlaw any type of weapons of mass destruction, first and foremost of nuclear weapons, to find broader support for the nuclear test ban process. It was very symbolic that 18 years after the closure of the Semipalatinsk site by Kazakhstan, August 29 was acknowledged by the United Nations as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. Kazakhstan was an ardent supporter and advocate of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Kazakhstan’s decision upon gaining independence to renounce nuclear weapons and to destroy or have removed the nuclear weapons from its territory served as Kazakhstan’s full commitment to this end. Setting up with neighbour countries a zone free of nuclear weapons in Central Asia, Kazakhstan also warmly welcomed the signing of the protocol to the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapons–Free-Zone Treaty in New York on 6 May 2014. Kazakhstan invariably called for an enhanced nuclear weapon non-proliferation regime. Now was the time to further strengthen the regime of non-proliferation and reduce the amount of weapons of mass destruction. On 22 August 2012, the Government of Kazakhstan had launched a new international entitled “ATOM”, which stood for “Abolish Testing. Our Mission.” Kazakhstan joined the appeal of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 29 August 2014 to put an end to all nuclear testing and would continue to work to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

Cuba, speaking on behalf of the Group of 21, said while noting the steps taken by nuclear weapon States for the reduction of their arsenals, the Group of 21 reiterated its deep concern over the slow pace of progress towards nuclear disarmament and the lack of progress by nuclear weapon States towards accomplishing the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals. The Group of 21 stressed the importance of the effective implementation of concrete measures leading to a nuclear weapons free world. This required renewed political will by the international community towards accelerated progress on nuclear disarmament. The Group of 21 underscored the urgent need to commence negotiations on this issue in the Conference without delay and reaffirmed its full readiness to start negotiations on a phased programme for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, including a nuclear weapons convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and on their destruction, leading to the global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons, with a specified framework of time. Pending the achievement of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, the Group of 21 reaffirmed the urgent need to reach an early agreement on a universal, unconditional and legally binding instrument to assure non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

In view of the Group of 21’s strong commitment to nuclear disarmament and a world free of nuclear weapons, the Group of 21 reiterated the following concrete steps: reaffirmation of the unequivocal commitment of the nuclear weapon States to accomplish the complete elimination of nuclear weapons; elimination of the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines; adoption of measures by nuclear weapon States to reduce nuclear danger; negotiation of a universal, unconditional and legally-binding instrument to assure non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; negotiation of a convention on the complete prohibition of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; and negotiation of a nuclear weapons convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and on their destruction, leading to the global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time. The Group of 21 welcomed with satisfaction the forthcoming commemoration of 26 September as the first International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, devoted to furthering this objective.

India said it attached the highest priority to nuclear disarmament and had joined the call made by the Group of 21 today and last March calling for the Conference to commence negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention pursuant to General Assembly resolution 68/32. India also supported the negotiation in the Conference of a non-discriminatory and internationally verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices that met India’s national security concerns. India was convinced that the goal of nuclear disarmament could be achieved by a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed multilateral framework that was global and non-discriminatory. There was a need for a meaningful dialogue amongst all States possessing nuclear weapons to build trust and confidence and for reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in international affairs and security doctrines. India considered the Conference on Disarmament as the appropriate forum for the commencement of negotiations on nuclear disarmament through the establishment of a subsidiary body with a mandate agreed by consensus, as part of a comprehensive and balanced programme of work.


For use of the information media; not an official record

DC14/032E