Business as Usual?: Day Four of the NPT PrepCom 2012

Friday, May 4 marked the fourth day of the NPT PrepCom, which consisted of statements on general disarmament matters and on the specific issue of security assurances. The overall atmosphere of this PrepCom has been remarkably positive so far; after the dispensation of procedural matters on the first day, most delegations have been relatively restrained in their comments on substantive issues.

General Statements on Nuclear Disarmament

The indicative timetable for the PrepCom is set up so that delegations first comment on general issues relating to one of the three clusters, namely disarmament, nonproliferation, and peaceful uses. Once everyone who wishes to has had a chance to speak, the Chair then opens discussions on one specific issue that falls under that cluster. Thus the first part of the session on Friday was intended to allow delegations who had not done so on Thursday to give general comments on Cluster 1 issues, which pertain to disarmament; the second part would allow them to speak specifically on the issue of security assurances.

Six delegations took the floor: Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Belarus, and the Russian Federation. Most of these statements expounded on themes addressed before and described in previous reports, such as the importance of CTBT entry into force, the need to restart the CD negotiating machinery and/or consider alternative approaches, the importance of security assurances, and the obligation of the nuclear-weapon states to agree on a standard reporting form. The Russian statement emphasized the need for a realistic path toward nuclear disarmament, and for eliminating classes of weapons one at a time. It also called on the United States to return all non-strategic nuclear weapons to its own territory.

Security Assurances Discussion

The Chair then opened discussion on the issue of nuclear disarmament and security assurances and invited states to participate in a more "interactive" debate. The intention was probably to encourage delegations to ask questions or make remarks regarding the content of each other's statements on an informal basis, but most of the interventions that followed continued to be of the formal, written variety, and several addressed other issues in addition to that of security assurances. Speakers included Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, Germany on behalf of NPDI, Malaysia, Poland (again on behalf of NPDI), Ukraine, China, South Africa, Japan, the United States, Australia, and Iran. The session ended early, around 12:00pm, with no other delegations requesting the floor. The Chair suspended the session until Monday morning to give delegations time to read and process the 52 Working Papers and 10 additional official documents that have been submitted thus far.

The early release is somewhat puzzling, as many States used their opening statements or remarks in Cluster 1 debate to emphasize that disarmament is in desperate need of attention, yet then seemed unwilling to engage further on the matter. It is possible that they simply wish to maintain the positive and cooperative atmosphere; it is also possible that there may be further debate on some of these issues next week.

An additional report with more general impressions of the first week's sessions will be forthcoming.

Side Events

There were four lunchtime side events on Friday. The first was a discussion entitled "Nuclear Weapons Abolition: the roles of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Japan," hosted by Mayors for Peace. The panel included the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as Ambassador Mari Amano of the Japanese delegation. The mayors spoke about their hopes for nuclear abolition, while Ambassador Amano described the practical steps that might lead to such a result and the work of Japan on this issue.

The second, "Bringing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty into Force," was hosted by the NPDI and the Arms Control Association. It featured four speakers, whose objective was to present the latest technical and political arguments which would promote member states in their efforts to sign and ratify the CTBT. Several delegates commended Indonesia's recent ratification of the CTBT and the significant role it could play for other states to follow. Ambassador Labbe of Chile emphasized the need for alertness and political will in order to establish and maintain peace and international security.

At the IAEA's Supporting New Nuclear Power Programmes in Developing Countries side event, Mr. Ali Boussaha, Director of the Division for Asia & Pacific, Department of Technical Cooperation and Mr. Wolfram Tonhauser, from the Office of Legal Affairs, discussed the services offered by the IAEA to nations pursuing new nuclear energy programs. Mr. Boussaha highlighted the Agency's services regarding safety and infrastructure development, emphasizing that international cooperation is essential. Mr. Wolfram Tonhauser outlined the Agency's initiatives in establishing a comprehensive national nuclear legal framework for nations who choose to pursue both power and non-power nuclear energy programs.

Finally, the EU and IAEA hosted a side event on international cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The EU provides a significant amount of funds to the IAEA's Technical Cooperation program, in order to promote the spread of peaceful nuclear technology through regulatory infrastructure development. Additionally, IAEA-EU cooperation also works on various risk reduction measures, including physical protection upgrades, recovery and removal of vulnerable radioactive sources, provision of radiation detection & monitoring equipment, expert assistance, and human resources development activities. The ultimate goal of this cooperation is to be enablers, not hinderers, of the spread of safe and secure peaceful nuclear technology.