Monday, May 17

European Union

This Draft Report contains a number of references to time-bound commitments, undertakings, frameworks, phases, convening of consultations, conferences or high-level meetings, etc. The EU Common Position inscribes as a priority for this Review Conference to reaffirm the commitment to and to stress the need for concrete progress in nuclear arms control and disarmament, and agreement on specific and early measures. The EU Common Position does not express itself on the issue of timeframes for these actions.

Iran

We believe this is the time that once and for all we should set a clear deadline for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and it would be possible through the negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention. In our view, the Review Conference would not be successful unless it could reach such an agreement.

 

Tuesday, May 12

New Zealand

We welcome Secretary General Ban’s strong push in his five-point plan for progress towards a world free of nuclear weapons … It is important that we build on recent positive momentum and deliver a comprehensive and forward-looking action plan on nuclear disarmament.

Egypt

Egypt calls once again on the Nuclear Weapons states to comply fully with their legal obligations under the NPT and to collectively initiate multilateral negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention, as stipulated in Article VI, aimed at banning nuclear weapons and their total elimination in a given timeframe.

Malaysia

Nuclear Weapon States have a positive role to play in this regard and should demonstrate leadership by committing themselves to nuclear disarmament via implementation of commitments and undertaking agreed in 1995 and 2000, in a specified period of time culminating in the total elimination of their nuclear weapons, through the conclusion of a Nuclear Weapons Convention.

Libya

Called for the elimination of nuclear weapons through a verifiable instrument.

Norway

As the ultimate implementation of Article VI, a nuclear weapons free world will need an additional legal instrument. This is a topic which is becoming increasingly relevant and important. We are likely to see more discussions on this matter in time to come.

 

Monday, May 10

Brazil

Enhanced verification mechanisms should be devised and grafted into a future Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which would level the playing field by making zero nuclear weapons the norm for all members of the international community.

 

Friday, May 7

Switzerland

Ultimately, the question of banning nuclear weapons by a new convention — as proposed by the UN Secretary-General — must be addressed. Switzerland expects the final document of this conference to re-affirm the objective of achieving a world without nuclear weapons, and to encourage the discussion on a convention to ban nuclear weapons.

Brazil

A successful outcome of the work in this Main Committee I is predicated on the definition of clear directives on a number of points … (b) a commitment to the goal of concluding a Nuclear Weapons Convention outlawing this category of weapons entirely, with a well-defined timeframe, in line with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions.

Iran

[Iran is] of the firm belief that early negotiation [of] a Nuclear Weapons Convention shall be started. In this regard we reiterate our call for the establishment, as the highest priority and as soon as possible, of an ad hoc committee with negotiating mandate on nuclear disarmament in the Conference on Disarmament. Such negotiations must lead to legally prohibit, once and for all, the possession, development, stockpiling of nuclear weapons by any country and provide for the destruction of such inhuman weapons.

Philippines

Statement not yet available.

 

Thursday, May 6

Chile 

We should support the Secretary-General’s five-point plan and, in particular, lay the foundations for preliminary discussion of a Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Mexico

… Mexico expects that as a result of this conference we agree on … the reaffirmation of the unequivocal commitment by the NWS to achieve the destruction of their nuclear arsenals and to negotiate a convention that prohibits these weapons with a timeframe that provides certainty to the international community.

Ecuador

Mi país, considera que el documento de trabajo y el Plan de Acción para la Eliminación de las Armas Nucleares presentados por el Movimiento de Países No Alineados constituyen una base apropiada para lagrar los objectivos antes mencionados, para lo cual ofrecemos toda la colaboración posible con miras a lograr el éxito de esta Conferencia.

Thailand

Thailand supports the UNSG’s five-point proposal on nuclear disarmament of 24 October 2008 …

Senegal

Le renforcement de l’autorité du TNP commande également que cette Conférence de revue se prononce sur les voies et moyens d’arriver it une convention générale sur les armes nucléaires, tel que mentionné dans l’article 6 du TNP.

Holy See

[T]he world has arrived at an opportune moment to begin addressing in a systematic way the legal, political and technical requisites for a nuclear weapons free world. For this reason, preparatory work should begin as soon as possible on a convention or framework agreement leading to the phased elimination of nuclear weapons.

Yemen

We urge a ban on the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, and ultimately their complete elimination. (Unofficial translation)

Inter-Parliamentary Union

Current barriers to nuclear disarmament could be overcome through commencing a preparatory process which would explore the legal, technical, institutional and political requirements for a nuclear-weapons free world. This process could be guided, but would not be bound by, the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention circulated by the UN Secretary-General. The Nuclear Weapons Convention provides a non-discriminatory approach which builds on currently existing mechanisms, such as the CTBTO and IAEA — and fills in the gaps.

 

Wednesday, May 5

Egypt

[T]he implementation of the Treaty in the field of nuclear disarmament remains below expectations … This re-affirms the need to readdress the issue of nuclear disarmament in the international multilateral framework and not to settle for direct negotiations restricted to the nuclear-weapon States only. It also confirms the need to create a legal framework to eliminate nuclear weapons through the conclusion of an international legally binding convention to eliminate nuclear weapons in a specified timeframe.

Costa Rica

[I]t is important to explore new paths that can lead us towards a world free of nuclear weapons, a goal that has been hindered by the fragmentation and inconsistency of the instruments we have available today.

Thirteen years ago Costa Rica and Malaysia presented a draft Framework Convention on Nuclear Weapons. This draft, which the Secretary-General considered a “good point of departure”, was updated and presented again to the First Preparatory Committee of this Conference in Vienna in 2007. Building on this draft we could create an instrument capable of strengthening confidence in verification and ensure the supervision of processes, dismantling and definitive reduction of the nuclear threat.

States Parties to Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones

We reaffirm the urgent need to advance towards the priority goal of nuclear disarmament and the achievement of the total elimination and legally binding prohibition of nuclear weapons … We support the United Nations Secretary-General’s call in his five-point proposal on nuclear disarmament for all Non-Proliferation Treaty Parties, in particular the nuclear-weapon States, to fulfil their obligation under the Treaty to undertake negotiations on effective measures leading to nuclear disarmament.

Lichtenstein

Lichtenstein supports the long-term goal of a Nuclear Weapons Convention, in line with the Secretary-General’s five-point plan. This Conference should prepare the ground for such a project by adopting a Program of Action including concrete goals to be achieved within set time-frames.

Lebanon

Our joint endeavor to stave off any possible nuclear tragedy in the future should be boosted by further strengthening the international legal system in this regard … Let us start negotiations on crucial international instruments such as the Nuclear Weapons Convention and the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT).

Tunisia

Les Etats dotés de l’arme nucléaire sont appelés à entamer des négociations sur un programme graduel d’élimination totale de leurs arsenaux, ce dans le cadre d’une Convention sur les Armes Nucléaires, ce qui es, à notre avis, en concordance avec l’avis consultatif de la Cour Internationale de Justice sur la « Licéité de la menace ou de l’emploi des armes nucléaires » selon lequel, je cite, « il existe une obligation de poursuivre de bonne foi et de mener à terme des négociations conduisant au désarmement nucléaire dans tous ses aspects, sous un contrôle international strict et efficace ».

Mongolia

My delegation believes that the Secretary-General’s five-point proposal on nuclear disarmament is a balanced, realistic and promising initiative to which we extend our full support.

Kenya

[I]t is our conviction that there is need to commence early negotiations leading to the conclusion of an international convention for the total elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Colombia

Since the invention of the atom bomb, the nuclear threat has been dormant, putting human existence at risk. The international community has witnessed the devastating effects of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, those deadly weapons of mass destruction have not been banned. The only way to free ourselves from that threat is to achieve the complete elimination of nuclear arsenals. That is where the importance of the Non-Proliferation Treaty lies, as the only multilateral instrument that creates the obligation for States that possess nuclear weapons to adopt measures to put a stop to the race to acquire and develop this type of armaments and reach full nuclear disarmament. For this reason we insist in the urgency of [an] international legally binding instrument that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons.

Cuba

Cuba agrees that, as a transcendental outcome of this Conference, it will be required the adoption of a clear plan of action to comply with the implementation of all the provisions of the Treaty, mainly with the nuclear disarmament obligations. The Plan shall establish a concrete schedule for the gradual reduction of nuclear weapons in a transparent, irreversible, verifiable and legally binding manner. We must ratify this Plan until the complete elimination of these weapons by 2025.

Malaysia

Malaysia has and will continue to do its part to realize a nuclear-weapon-free world. Let me quote just two initiatives here. At the international level, since 1997, we have submitted a resolution to the First Committee reminding all States of the Advisory Opinion of the ICJ, which reaffirms the nuclear-weapon States’ disarmament obligation under Article VI of the Treaty. Therefore, all States should fulfil this obligation by commencing multilateral negotiations leading to the conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention at the earliest possible date. In this connection, Malaysia calls on all States to undertake the preparatory process through an ad hoc working group or committees for a nuclear weapons convention.

 

Tuesday, May 4

China

The international community should develop, at an appropriate time, a viable, long-term plan composed of phased actions, including a convention on the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons.

Qatar

We stress the importance that the Conference adopt the Action Plan of the States Parties to eliminate nuclear weapons, which was presented by the Non-Aligned Movement … We hope that we will not wait long before we celebrate a universal treaty for disarmament and prohibition of nuclear weapons, for this has legal and political importance.

 

Monday, May 3

Non-Aligned Movement

The consideration of a Nuclear Weapons Convention banning all nuclear weapons, as mentioned in Article VI of the Treaty, should begin and should be an integral part of any plan of action on nuclear disarmament to be adopted by this Conference.

Iran

To realize the humane aspiration for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation as well as the peaceful use of nuclear energy, I would like to offer the following proposals … Adoption of a legally binding instrument on the full prohibition of production, stockpiling, improvement, proliferation, maintaining and use of nuclear weapons.

Austria

Moving from the dream of a world free of nuclear weapons to actual global zero will take time and much effort. There are several promising ideas, like UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s five-point plan. Austria supports this plan and believes that the most effective way to move towards “global zero” is through a universal legal instrument, a ‘Nuclear Weapons Convention’, equipped with a strict multilateral verification mechanism.

You are aware how sincerely Austria engages in disarmament issues. We were at the forefront of initiatives resulting in conventions banning mines and cluster bombs. The Austrian government and the legislature — which recently adopted a formal resolution on a world without nuclear weapons — will examine closely how disarmament is dealt with at this Conference. If there is no clear progress towards “global zero”, we will discuss with partners the feasibility of a global instrument to ban these weapons. The NPT remains the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. But a static regime that has lost its vision may benefit from fresh ideas.

Indonesia

[W]e must work intensively together to produce a universal nuclear weapons convention with a specific timeline for the attainment of complete nuclear disarmament. For the eradication of all nuclear weapons is our only assurance that they will never be used.

Switzerland

In addition to military and legal considerations, Switzerland’s aim is to bring the humanitarian aspect to the heart of the current debate on nuclear disarmament. In fact, it is necessary to ask the question at which point the right of States must yield to the interests of humanity. In the long term we must outlaw nuclear weapons, specifically by means of a new convention as the UN Secretary General has proposed.

Switzerland considers it important that a debate on this question be launched. To this end it has initiated a study on the subject of delegitimizing nuclear weapons.

 

Working Papers

Working Paper 12

Working paper submitted by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on the need to enhance the commitment to nuclear disarmament and promotion of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: During their fifteenth summit held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 11 to 16 July 2009, the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement affirmed their principled positions on nuclear disarmament. They stressed that efforts aiming at nuclear non-proliferation should be parallel to simultaneous efforts aiming at nuclear disarmament. They also reaffirmed the need for the Conference on Disarmament to start negotiations on a phased programme for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time, including the conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention.

Working Paper 28

Working paper on disarmament submitted by Lebanon on behalf of the States members of the League of Arab States to the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: The Arab States call on the Conference to … (b) Establish a timetable and specific plan for nuclear disarmament with a view to accelerating the negotiations called for in article VI of the Treaty and to commencing negotiations on a treaty onn the prohibition of nuclear weapons … (g) Call on the Conference on Disarmament to establish a subcommittee concerned with negotiations on a nuclear disarmament treaty.

This list of references may not be comprehensive. For additions, please email tim@icanw.org.