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Heiligendamm Statement on Non-Proliferation, G8 Summit, June 6 - 8, 2007

G8 Summit 2007, Heiligendamm.

Heiligendamm Statement on Non-Proliferation

1. Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery as well as effectively combating international terrorism are critical to international peace and security. We, the Leaders of the G8, remain resolute in our shared commitment to counter the global proliferation challenge and continue to support and implement all the statements on non-proliferation issued on the occasion of previous summits of the G8.

2. The global proliferation challenge requires determined action and international cooperation on the basis of a broad and multifaceted approach. To be successful we need to work jointly with other partners and through relevant international institutions, in particular those of the United Nations system, to strengthen all instruments available for combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

3. We will also continue to promote a stable international and regional environment in order to address the underlying factors for proliferation activities.

4. We reaffirm our commitment to the multilateral treaty system which provides the normative basis for all non-proliferation efforts. The strengthening and universalisation of WMD related treaties, in particular the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, are therefore a key priority. These three treaties continue to be essential instruments to maintain international peace and security and are the cornerstones of the international regime for non-proliferation and disarmament.

5. We will continue to encourage states to fulfil their obligations under the multilateral treaty regimes and to help states in effectively implementing those obligations at their national levels, inter alia by accounting for, securing and physically protecting sensitive materials. We place particular emphasis on urging the adoption of effective measures to combat illicit trafficking in WMD materials and their means of delivery, in particular through capacity building related to law enforcement and the establishment and enforcement of effective export controls, as well as through the Proliferation Security Initiative.

6. We reaffirm our commitment at Gleneagles to develop cooperative procedures to identify, track and freeze financial transactions and assets associated with WMD proliferation networks. We agree that the United Nations Security Council resolutions, including 1540, 1695, 1718, 1737, and 1747, require all states to take actions against WMD proliferation and call upon states to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities against WMD proliferation finance.

7. We reiterate the key role of the United Nations Security Council in addressing the challenge of proliferation. In this regard, we underline the importance of full implementation by all States of the UNSC Resolution 1540 and we reiterate our support for the efforts of the 1540 Committee, including the sharing of best practices.

8. The Global Partnership against the Proliferation of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched five years ago at Kananaskis, is a unique and successful joint effort. At the midpoint of its lifespan we have reviewed the progress made so far and assessed the state of the cooperative projects undertaken. We acknowledge the progress that has been made since the launch of the Partnership in 2002 but more has to be done to increase the efficiency of our cooperation. We remain firmly committed to completing the Kananaskis goals. We will discuss in due course whether the Partnership should be extended beyond 2012 and if so how to allocate the means for expanding its scope to address threat reduction and nonproliferation requirements worldwide, including those mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. We will discuss how other states, both donors and recipients, could be included in an expanded Global Partnership.

9. We strongly support the endeavours underway to overcome the stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament. We reaffirm our support to the early commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

10. We underline the crucial importance of ensuring compliance with the multilateral treaty system. To that end we need to strengthen verification and enforcement. We are committed to continue our efforts to make the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement together with an Additional Protocol the universally accepted verification standard for the peaceful use undertakings of the NPT. We will also work towards rendering the implementation of the CWC and BTWC more effective, in particular by promoting full and effective national implementation by all States Parties and full compliance with their obligations with regard to both Conventions. We are also committed to enhancing the effectiveness of the UNSC in meeting the challenge of proliferation and effectively fulfilling its role as the final arbiter of the consequences of non-compliance.

11. We acknowledge that the nuclear non-proliferation regime faces serious challenges. We therefore reaffirm our full commitment to the objectives and obligations of all three pillars of the NPT and we will continue to work for its universalisation. We call on all states party to the NPT to make a constructive contribution to a balanced and structured review of the Treaty, which has successfully begun with the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the 2010 Review Conference. We will undertake all efforts to achieve a positive outcome of the review process with a view to maintaining and strengthening the authority, credibility and integrity of the treaty regime.

12. We urge all states concerned to observe a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions.

13. We reaffirm the inalienable right of all parties to the NPT to the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as enshrined in Article IV in conformity with all their Treaty obligations. To reduce the proliferation risks associated with the spread of enrichment and reprocessing goods and technology, we welcome the continued discussion by the Nuclear Suppliers Group on mechanisms to strengthen controls on transfers of enrichment and reprocessing equipment, facilities and technology. We regret that they did not reach consensus on this issue by 2007 as called for in St. Petersburg. We urge the NSG to accelerate its work and swiftly reach consensus. We agree to continue to undertake previously agreed actions on the understanding that should the NSG not reach consensus on appropriate criteria by 2008, we will seriously consider alternative strategies to reduce the proliferation risks associated with the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing goods and technologies. We also stress the importance of developing and implementing mechanisms of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle as a possible alternative to pursuing national enrichment and reprocessing activities. Following the IAEA special event in September last year we are now looking forward to the suggestions that the IAEA Director General will be presenting to the IAEA Board of Governors later this month. In considering the suggestions we will be guided by the criteria of added value to the non-proliferation regime, confidence in the reliability of supply assurances, compatibility with Article IV of the NPT, and the need to avoid any unnecessary interference or disturbance with the functioning of existing commercial markets. In this context, we reaffirm our commitment to ensure that the highest possible nonproliferation, safety and security standards for the peaceful use of nuclear energy are observed. We appreciate suggested initiatives in the field of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle, including the Russian initiative on multinational centres to provide nuclear fuel cycle services, the US initiative on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, the Six-Party proposal of a standing mechanism for reliable access to nuclear fuel, the Japanese initiative on an IAEA standby arrangements system for the assurance of nuclear fuel supply, the UK proposal for non-revocable advanced export approval and the German initiative to establish a special territory under the exclusive control of the IAEA where enrichment could take place on a commercial basis. We reiterate that participation in any mechanism dealing with multilateral approaches should be carried out on a voluntary basis and should not preclude any state from purchasing nuclear fuel cycle services on the existing market, beyond the frameworks of multilateral mechanisms.

14. We are committed to resolving regional proliferation challenges by diplomatic means. We remain united in our commitment to resolve the proliferation concerns posed by Iran's nuclear programme. We deplore the fact that Iran has so far failed to meet its obligations under UNSC Resolutions 1696, 1737 and 1747 and will support adopting further measures, should Iran refuse to comply with its obligations. We again urge Iran to take the steps required by the international community, and made mandatory by these resolutions, to suspend all its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and allow negotiations to begin. International confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme would permit a completely new chapter to be opened in our relations with Iran not only in the nuclear but also more broadly in the political, economic and technological fields. In this regard, we support the action of the IAEA and call on Iran to fully cooperate with the Agency.

15. Regarding the Korean Peninsula we are continuing to support the Six-Party Talks and swift implementation of the initial actions agreed on 13 February, 2007 as a first step towards full implementation of the Joint Statement of 19 September, 2005, including the resolution of the outstanding issues of concern. At the same time, we condemn the DPRK's nuclear test which is a clear threat to international peace and security. We urge the DPRK to comply with the UNSC Resolutions 1695 and 1718, strictly to refrain from any further nuclear test or missile launch, and to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes as well as all other existing WMD and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. We urge the DPRK to return to full compliance with the NPT and IAEA safeguards. At the same time, we expect all states to fully implement the UNSC resolutions.

16. We look forward to reinforcing our partnership with India. We note the commitments India has made, and encourage India to take further steps towards integration into the mainstream of strengthening the non-proliferation regime so as to facilitate a more forthcoming approach towards nuclear cooperation to address its energy requirements, in a manner that enhances and reinforces the global non-proliferation regime.

17. The threat of nuclear terrorism continues to be a matter of grave concern to us. We are therefore committed to broaden participation in and further develop the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism that was launched last year at St. Petersburg. We invite all EU member states to join the initiative, the EU to support our efforts and the EU-institutions to join the intiative as observer. We call on all states to endorse the Statement of Principles adopted at the Initiative's meeting in Rabat on 30 and 31 October 2006 and join in strengthening our preparedness and defenses against this threat consistent with national legal authorities and obligations under relevant international legal frameworks. We urge States that have not done so to sign and to ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials in its amended version.

18. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the CWC, which is the first disarmament treaty freeing the world from a whole category of weapons of mass destruction under international verification and within a specific timeframe. The anniversary is an opportunity to take stock of the implementation of that Convention so far and to set the stage for the Second Review Conference scheduled to take place in April 2008. We believe that at the Conference States Parties should reaffirm their commitment to full compliance with the obligations under the Convention and to further strengthen the regime established by it. 19. Determined to exclude completely the possibility of biological agents and toxins being used as weapons, we welcome the outcome of the Sixth Review Conference of the BTWC in 2006, which made a significant contribution to strengthening the effectiveness of the Convention. We are committed to fully comply with the decisions taken by that conference and to work for successful outcomes of the meetings during the intercessional period leading to the next Review Conference in 2011. 20. We will continue to promote efforts to address the threat posed by proliferation of means of delivery of weapons of mass destruction. In this regard we remain committed to implementing the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation and call upon other subscribing States to follow suit. We also intend to render it more effective and urge all states which have not done so, to subscribe to the Code without delay.

Source: G8 Summit website, http://www.g-8.de/Content/EN/Artikel/__g8-summit/2007-06-07-summit-documents.html