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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation Conclusion of Annual CD Session, September 12I. Summary of Session: UN Press Release'Conference on Disarmament Concludes 2002 Session', UN Press Release, UN News Service, September 12. The Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, today concluded the third and last part of its 2002 session after adopting its annual report. In the last few weeks of the session, a proposal presented by five former Presidents of the Conference - the so-called "Five Ambassadors" initiative - launched by the Ambassadors of Algeria, Belgium, Chile, Sweden and Colombia, had provided a glimmer of hope that the Conference would be able to reach agreement on a programme of work and start considering substantive issues. Basing itself on the proposal by Ambassador Celso Amorim in August 2000 (CD/1624), the proposal sought to bridge the gaps between Member States of the Conference on the main stumbling blocks - prevention of an arms race in outer space and nuclear disarmament. In his concluding statement, the President of the Conference, Ambassador Andras Szabo of Hungary, said that during its 2002 session, the Conference had come very close to reaching an agreement on the establishment of three Ad Hoc Committees, namely on the issues of a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; of nuclear disarmament; and of negative security assurances; as well as on their respective mandates. The same applied to the appointment of Special Coordinators under agenda item 6 entitled "comprehensive programme of disarmament", as well as under agenda item 7 on "transparency in armaments". A new proposal by the German presidency to revisit the issue of radiological weapons in the light of the new threats, and to appoint a Special Coordinator to this end was also discussed. However, deep controversies persisted over how to deal with agenda item 3 entitled "prevention of an arms race in outer space" (PAROS). The question of whether and how quickly differences concerning PAROS could be overcome remained the critical one. The President of the Conference said the initiative of a group of "Five Ambassadors" provoked especially broad discussions and lent new impetus to the efforts to end the stalemate in the Conference. He said it stood out as a promising compromise package. He encouraged the five ambassadors to continue their efforts with a view to evolve their initiative further. The Conference adopted its annual report to the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly in which it requested the current President and the incoming President to conduct appropriate consultations during the intersessional period and, if possible, make recommendations, taking into account all existing proposals and views presented and discussions held in the 2002 session. The Conference also took note of the reports of its Special Coordinators on review of the agenda, expansion of membership, and improved and effective functioning of the Conference. While agreeing that priority should be given to pursue substantive work, the Conference recommended that Special Coordinators on relevant procedural issues be appointed, if deemed necessary, during its 2003 session. The Conference on Disarmament works by consensus and cannot undertake new work without the agreement of all Member States. This is the fourth consecutive year during which it has been unable to reach agreement on a programme of work and start work on substantive issues. The Conference had decided to examine the following questions in its 2002 session: cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; prevention of nuclear war; prevention of an arms race in outer space; effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons (radiological weapons; a comprehensive programme of disarmament; transparency in armaments; and consideration and adoption of the annual report and any other report, as appropriate, to the General Assembly of the United Nations. At the opening of the 2002 session, Deputy-Secretary-General of the Conference, Enrique Roman-Morey, read out a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in which he regretted that the past year had seen a lack of progress in multilateral disarmament efforts. Mr. Annan recalled that in the aftermath of the September attacks, the General Assembly had emphasized the need for progress in multilateral cooperation on disarmament and non-proliferation to contribute to global efforts against terrorism. He hoped that the Conference on Disarmament would respond to those challenges with dynamism and determination, adding that such a response required a complete break with the recent prolonged inactivity of the Conference. Issues which continued to be discussed within the Conference this session included the 11 September terrorist attacks and ways to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling in the hands of terrorist groups; the abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; and the security situation in south Asia. Representatives of Member States of the Conference also continued to express their countries' aspirations for the Conference and which areas they would like to focus on. On 14 February, the Conference decided to appoint three Special Coordinators on the review of its agenda, the expansion of its membership and improved and effective functioning. When they presented their reports on 22 August to the Conference, the Special Coordinators noted a lack of consensus for change on all their subjects. The Conference on Disarmament was addressed during its 2002 session by John Bolton, Under-Secretary for Arms Control and International Security of the United States; Anna Lindh, Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs; Ioan Mircea Pascu, the Defence Minister of Romania; William Graham, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada; Kassymzhomart Tokayev, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; Antti Satuli, the Secretary of State of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland; Abdul Sattar, Foreign Minister of Pakistan; Javad Zarif, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and Hans-Joachim Daerr, the Federal Commissioner for Disarmament and Arms Control of Germany. The Conference paid tribute to its Secretary-General, Vladimir Petrovsky, who retired on 28 February, and welcomed a new Secretary-General, Sergei Ordzhonikidze. The Conference decided that the dates for the three parts of its 2003 session will be from 20 January to 28 March; from 12 May to 27 June; and from 28 July to 10 September. The next plenary of the Conference will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 21 January 2003. II. 'Five Ambassadors' Initiative, August 29'Proposal of a Programme of Work: Initiative of the Ambassadors Dembri, Lint, Reyes, Salander and Vega', non-paper presented to the Conference on Disarmament, August 29. Note: the "Five Ambassadors", all former holders of the CD Presidency, are: Mohamed Salah Dembri (Algeria), Jean Lint (Belgium), Juan Enrique Vega (Chile), Camilo Reyes (Colombia), and Henrik Salander (Sweden). Taking into account the several proposals tabled since 1999, the Conference on Disarmament decides to establish, for the duration of the current session, the following programme of work, in respect of the elements of the agenda of the Conference: 1) The Conference establishes for the duration of the current session, an Ad Hoc Committee under agenda item 4 entitled "Effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons", to negotiate with a view to reaching agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. These arrangements could take the form of an internationally binding instrument. The Ad Hoc Committee shall present a report to the Conference on Disarmament on the progress of its work before the conclusion of the current session. The mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be reviewed as appropriate, taking into consideration all relevant views and proposals and the prospects for future work. 2) The Conference establishes, for the duration of the current session, an Ad Hoc Committee, under agenda item 1 entitled "Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament" to deal with nuclear disarmament. The Ad Hoc Committee shall exchange information and views on practical steps for progressive and systematic efforts to attain this objective, and in doing so shall examine approaches towards potential future work of a multilateral character. In discharging its functions, the Ad Hoc Committee will take into account current efforts and existing proposals and views, as well as proposals that may emerge from the study and discussion. The Ad Hoc Committee shall present a report to the Conference on Disarmament on the progress of its work before the conclusion of the current session. The mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be reviewed as appropriate, taking into consideration all relevant views and proposals and the prospects for future work. 3) The Conference establishes, for the duration of the current session, an Ad Hoc Committee, under agenda item 1 entitled "Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament" which shall negotiate, on the basis of the report of the Special Coordinator (CD/1299) and the mandate contained therein, a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The Ad Hoc Committee shall present a report to the Conference on Disarmament on the progress of its work before the conclusion of the current session. 4) The Conference establishes, for the duration of the current session, an Ad Hoc Committee under agenda item 3 entitled "Prevention of an arms race in outer space" to deal with the prevention of an arms race in outer space". The Ad Hoc Committee shall identify and examine, without limitation and without prejudice, any specific topics or proposals, which could include confidence-building or transparency measures, general principles, treaty commitments and the elaboration of a regime capable of preventing an arms race in outer space. In doing so, the Ad Hoc Committee shall take appropriate account of the need to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and the prevention of an arms race there, while also promoting international stability and respecting the principle of undiminished security for all. The Ad hoc Committee shall present a report to the Conference on Disarmament on the progress of its work before the conclusion of the current session. The mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be reviewed as appropriate, taking into consideration all relevant views and proposals and the prospects for future work. 5) The Conference appoints a Special Coordinator under agenda item 5 entitled "New types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons" to seek the views of its Members on the most appropriate way to deal with this issue. In implementing this decision, the Special Coordinator shall take into consideration all relevant views and proposals, present and future. The Conference requests the Special Coordinator to present a report before the end of the current session. 6) The Conference appoints a Special Coordinator under agenda item 6 entitled "Comprehensive programme of Disarmament" to seek the views of its Members on the most appropriate way to deal with this issue. In implementing this decision, the Special Coordinator shall take into consideration all relevant views and proposals, present and future. The Conference requests the Special Coordinator to present a report before the end of the current session. 7) The Conference appoints a Special Coordinator under agenda item 7 entitled "Transparency in armaments" to seek the views of its members on the most appropriate way to deal with the questions related to this item. In implementing this decision, the Special Coordinator shall take into consideration all relevant views and proposals, present and future. The Conference requests the Special Coordinator to present a report before the end of the current session. © 2002 The Acronym Institute. |