CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENTS FROM PRESIDENT OF CONFERENCE, UNITED STATES AND GERMANY

The Conference on Disarmament today heard a statement from the President of the Conference on the status of informal discussions on draft decision CD/2007/1, which aims to start substantive work at the Conference, as well as addresses from the United States on efforts it was pursuing to further non-proliferation and from Germany on the non-proliferation statement issued at the G8 meeting in Heiligendamm.

Ambassador Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier of Sweden, President of the Conference, felt that they had not exhausted the consultations on the possibility of issuing a complementary presidential statement on the Six President's proposal yet. Another round of open-ended informal presidential consultations would be held and the result, if they had one, would be circulated at the next plenary of the Conference.

The United States highlighted the announcement made last week by the United States Department of Energy's Nuclear Security Administration that it had increased the rate of nuclear weapons dismantlements by 50 per cent over last year's level, and would continue at that sharply higher rate for the rest of the year. As a result of the increase in dismantlements and reductions, today's stockpile was one quarter of its size at the end of the Cold War. The United States was taking the necessary steps to reduce its stockpile of nuclear weapons in efforts to make the world a safer place for all. The Conference on Disarmament had the potential to be part of the action in that goal, but the United States would also continue to participate in cooperative efforts elsewhere to advance common goals and strengthen international peace and security.

Germany took the floor to introduce the statement on non-proliferation that had been issued by the G8 meeting in Heiligendamm. In the non-proliferation declaration the G8 had strongly supported the endeavours under way to overcome the stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament and had reaffirmed commitments to the early commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

The next plenary will be held on Thursday, 14 June, at 10 a.m., when the Conference will continue its consideration of draft decision CD/2007/L.1..

Statements

ELISABET BORSIIN BONNIER (Sweden), President of the Conference on Disarmament, in opening remarks, gave a brief update on the work she had undertaken with regard to the Six President's Proposal contained in draft decision CD/2007/L.1. She had consulted over the week and carried out open-ended informal consultations. She had then explored whether the vehicle of a complementary presidential statement could help the Conference to find a way out of its stalemate. She felt that they had not exhausted the consultations on that possibility yet. Her plans were therefore to hold another round of open-ended informal presidential consultations following the formal plenary today. At the next plenary of the Conference, on Thursday, 14 June, the result would be circulated, if they had one, on the open-ended informal presidential consultations on L.1.

CHRISTINA ROCCA (United States) took the floor to express the United States support for the efforts of the President. The United States shared the frustration expressed by many over the past few weeks with regard to the Conference's stalemate. As stated before, the United States understood that L.1 was the best chance to move the Conference forward.

Yet, even with the current deadlock, the United States had many reasons to remain positive. In that regard Ms. Rocca highlighted the announcement made last week by the United States Department of Energy's Nuclear Security Administration that it had increased the rate of nuclear weapons dismantlements by 50 per cent over last year's level, and would continue at that sharply higher rate for the rest of the year. Dismantling weapons was complex and expensive. The National Nuclear Security Administration had made substantial investments in previous years across the nuclear weapons complex to hire additional technicians, purchase the right equipment and tools, and develop better safety and security procedures. As a result of the increase in dismantlements and reductions, today's stockpile was one quarter of its size at the end of the Cold War. The United States was hopeful because it was making its own efforts in nuclear disarmament. They would not stand still on the issue of reducing nuclear weapons pending some multilateral agreement. The United States was taking the necessary steps to reduce its stockpile of nuclear weapons in efforts to make the world a safer place for all.

The Conference on Disarmament had the potential to be part of the action in that goal, Ms. Rocca observed. The United States would continue to support the initiatives in the Conference and keep hope that substantive work would soon end the hiatus, but the United States would also continue to participate in cooperative efforts elsewhere to advance common goals and strengthen international peace and security.

BERNHARD BRASACK (Germany) took the floor to introduce the statement on non-proliferation that had been issued by the G8 meeting in Heiligendamm. That paper, together with a paper on the fight against terrorism issued by the G8, had been submitted to the Secretariat yesterday for circulation. In the non-proliferation declaration the G8 had strongly supported the endeavours under way to overcome the stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament and had reaffirmed commitments to the early commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty. It stressed that the global proliferation challenge required determined action on the basis of international cooperation and a broad, multifaceted approach. Finally, it had reaffirmed the commitment of the G8 to the multilateral treaty system, the strengthening of weapons of mass destruction-related treaties, and particularly the strengthening of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, which were the three cornerstones for the non-proliferation regime.