CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENT FROM INCOMING PRESIDENT

The Conference on Disarmament this morning heard a statement from the incoming President, Ambassador Alex Van Meeuwen of Belgium, who said he had faith in the action undertaken within this forum for the consolidation of peace and international security, key elements for the collective survival. The Conference on Disarmament would therefore have to be creative to overcome the difficulties facing it. The international community could not allow itself to put pointless and damaging obstacles in front of the noble goal that was the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Ambassador Meeuwen said last week his predecessor, Ambassador Mikhail Khvostov of Belarus, had tabled a draft decision on the establishment of a work programme for the 2010 session (CD/WP.559). This document was not currently unanimously accepted, nor did it enjoy consensus among the members of the Conference. Further consultations were therefore required.

As each delegation in the room had said frequently and with force, the Conference on Disarmament was the only multilateral negotiating body on disarmament - and each had responsibility for it. Belgium had faith in the action undertaken within this forum for the consolidation of peace and international security, key elements for the collective survival. But, as the Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon had said to the Conference on Disarmament in May 2009, this was an era of interdependency, and the answers to crises, whether economic, financial, environmental or other, would be found in a new multilateralism, where cooperation would replace confrontation, and creativity would replace deadlock.

The Conference on Disarmament would therefore have to be creative to overcome the difficulties facing it. 2009 had begun with a message of hope, a vision of a better future. Many initiatives were still on the loom, and the next Conference reviewing the Non-Proliferation Treaty would be a new step in that direction. The international community could not allow itself to put pointless and damaging obstacles in front of the noble goal that was the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Document CD/WP.559 is a Presidential proposal for a programme of work for the Conference’s 2010 session. It specifically references the programme of work for 2009 (CD/1864), as well as recommendations to the Conference by the General Assembly (which encourage the Conference to begin work on an FMCT). It envisages the establishment of four working groups: on cessation of a nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament, to exchange views and information, including on approaches toward potential future work of multilateral character; a working group to negotiate an FMCT, on the basis of CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein; a working group to discuss substantively, without limitation, all issues related to prevention of an arms race in outer space; and a working group on negative security assurances to discuss substantively, without limitation, with a view to elaborating recommendations “... not excluding those related to an internationally legally binding instrument”. It also appoints three coordinators – on new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; on a comprehensive programme of disarmament; and on transparency in armaments – to seek views of members on the most appropriate way to deal with questions related to those issues. The proposal also sets out or highlights a number of basic principles, including that rotation and equitable geographic representation will apply to the working groups and special coordinators.

The next meeting of the Conference on Disarmament will be on Tuesday, 23 March at 10 a.m.


For use of information media; not an official record

DC10/018E