Two Short Hours: Day Eight of the NPT PrepCom 2012

Day Eight of the 2012 NPT PrepCom was extremely quiet, as delegates concluded their statements on Cluster Three issues and awaited the release of the draft of the Chairman's Factual Summary.

Conclusion of Cluster 3

Unlike the other two clusters, which each had one specific issue singled out for discussion, Cluster 3 had two issues: first, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and other provisions of the treaty; and second, improving the effectiveness of the strengthened review process. Thirteen countries gave statements on the peaceful uses and other provisions topic, including the United States, Romania, the Republic of Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Iran, and Algeria. Many of these statements focused on nuclear safety and security. The discussion on "other provisions of the treaty" focused primarily on Article X and the withdrawal clause. The United States reminded the conference that there was no agreement reached on the withdrawal issue in 2010, although there were rich discussions on the matter. Several states, including the United States, Japan, and France, stated that the 2015 review cycle was an ideal moment to revisit the discussion and consider how best to address the withdrawal question; some proposals, including one on how to make use of the required three-month notification period, were put forward. Iran, however, argued that the NPT is explicit in its withdrawal provisions and that continuing the debate is a waste of time, since the proceedings of 2010 made it clear that there is no consensus on the issue. Brazil once again reminded the Conference that the right to withdraw is not limited to non-nuclear-weapon states.

On the peaceful uses topic, several of the speakers used their time to inform the Conference of what they had done with regard to nuclear safety and security, such as protecting against cyber attacks by hardening electronics in nuclear facilities or proposing to strengthen the IAEA response and assistance network.

The Chair then opened the floor for discussions on the subject of improving the effectiveness of the strengthened review process. Six delegations — namely Canada, Germany, Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom — spoke on this subject. Some countries urged the States Parties to look at how to make better use of the PrepComs and use the time allotted more efficiently and effectively by addressing substantive matters more thoroughly. There were some proposals put forward, such as adopting an "opt-in" system for paper documents, in which delegations would have to request to receive hard copies of materials that would otherwise be available online, or abolishing summary records in favor of digital recordings of meetings. There was general agreement that cost-neutral or cost-cutting reforms to the review process could be considered favorably.

When the speakers' list had been exhausted, the Chair closed the meeting at 12pm in order to have time to consult with delegations in advance of the release of his factual summary. The Chair of the first PrepCom is expected to prepare a summary of the meeting, which can either be annexed to the "technical report" containing details about the procedural decisions taken on the first day of the Conference, or issued as a Chair's working paper. A draft of the summary and procedural report is scheduled to be released at 6pm.

Side Events

There were three side events held at lunchtime on Thursday. The first, entitled "Parliamentary Measures for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament," was sponsored by Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament and focused on parliamentary actions since the 2010 NPT Review Conference on key non-proliferation and disarmament measures, plus recommendations for further action. It featured several panelists who were members of various branches of PNND, including Marit Nybakk MP, Vice-President of the Norwegian Parliament; Bill Kidd MSP, Deputy Whip Scottish Parliament; and Muna Makhamreh, PNND Coordinator for Arab Countries.

The IAEA hosted a side event dedicated to their joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and IAEA Program, Atoms for Food & Agriculture. The IAEA discussed the role of nuclear applications in "Climate Smart Agriculture" and highlighted various nuclear techniques, available through IAEA Technical Cooperation, that are designed to improve sustainability and strengthen agriculture resilience to climate change. Specifically, the Agency emphasized climate smart mutation breeding, insect and pest control, animal production and health, and food safety and quality. The event concluded with a video, titled "More Crop Per Drop", that highlighted the program's ongoing work to optimize water use in areas prone to drought, such as Kenya.

Finally, in a side event this afternoon hosted by the Russian Federation, a representative from Rosatom briefed attendees on proposed amendments and additions to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) and the Convention on the Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (CENNA). Proposed changes to the CNS include

• the addition of language to conduct safety assessments of nuclear installations on a regular basis (not only just at the commissioning),
• to upgrade the safety at nuclear installations as necessary,
• to establish a nuclear power (regulatory & long-term management) infrastructure in a state beginning to develop a nuclear infrastructure,
• to create a clear procedure of coordination between government authorities and other organizations to manage the accident & mitigate consequences, and
• to incorporate site-specific safety features into designs for new nuclear installations.

Proposed changes to the CENNA include

• the addition of language giving states a specified window of time to notify the IAEA of a nuclear accident on their territory,
• requiring the notification to include the exact time and location of the event and a preliminary assessment of the severity,
• requiring the IAEA to notify states that could be affected by radiation from the accident within 12 hours of receiving notification, and
• establishing a website that provides real-time updates on the situation for the public to be able to access (similar to www.russianatom.ru).