CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT, CONCLUDES 2002 SESSION

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT, CONCLUDES 2002 SESSION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 12 September (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament today adopted its annual report and concluded its 2002 session after hearing statements welcoming the "Five Ambassadors" initiative to end the stalemate in the work of the Conference, marking the first anniversary of the

11 September attacks, and welcoming Switzerland's admission as the 190th Member State of the United Nations.

Representatives of Nigeria, Argentina, the United States, Denmark on behalf of the European Union, Ireland, Japan, Norway, France, Switzerland, Pakistan, Algeria and Hungary in his capacity as President of the Conference made statements.

Speakers regretted that for the fourth consecutive year, the Conference had not been able to start its substantive work.  They welcomed the "Five Ambassadors" initiative and hoped that the momentum which it had triggered would continue and allow the Conference to end the stalemate in its work early in its 2003 session.  Several speakers also noted the first anniversary of the 11 September attacks, the continuing war against terrorism, and as a result the need for the Conference to fulfil its mandate and help ensure that weapons of mass destruction did not fall in the hands of terrorists.

Many speakers, led by Ambassador Andras Szabo of Hungary, the President of the Conference, also welcomed Switzerland becoming the 190th Member State of the United Nations.

Ambassador Szabo 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 "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.  He hoped that the momentum created this year would facilitate the work of his successor, Ambassador Rakesh Sood of India, whom he wished much success in performing his duty.

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 decided that the dates for the three parts of its

2003 session would 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.

Statements

ANDRAS SZABO (Hungary), President of the Conference, paid tribute to the victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks.  He also welcomed, on his behalf and on behalf of the Conference, Switzerland in joining the United Nations as a Member State.  The Conference also adopted its annual report (CD/WP.527) and the revisions to it (CD/WP.528).

PIUS IKPEFUAN AYEWOH (Nigeria) said that at the last plenary meeting of the Conference for this year, Nigeria wished to note with concern the fact that, once again, the year 2002 had passed without any substantive progress in the work of the Conference.  The Conference was still unable to agree on a programme of work which could facilitate meaningful consideration of the existing agenda items.  The ensuing paralysis of the Conference had resulted in a serious drift from the common pursuit and global expectations that progress at the Conference would serve to enhance international peace and security through effective nuclear disarmament, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as make the Conference serve the noble objective of its founding fathers by collectively beating its swords into ploughshares for tackling the pruning hooks of global socio-economic development.  To move forward in 2003 was a duty for all.

Ambassador Ayewoh said that his delegation welcomed what may be characterized as a distant light at the end of the tunnel, the recent initiative of five past Presidents of the Conference, the Ambassadors of Algeria, Belgium, Colombia, Sweden and Chile.  The Nigerian delegation offered support to the "Five Ambassadors'" initiative as a basis for the work of the Conference in 2003, so that everyone could put the years of inertia behind them once and for all.

As the Conference today officially adopted its report to the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, the Nigerian delegation to the Assembly would, in concert with other delegations, once again be at the forefront of global efforts to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to uphold the sovereign equality of States, and to intensify the prohibition of the use of force in international relations, among the underlying tenets of the United Nations Charter.

MARCELLO VALLE FONROUGE (Argentina) welcomed the admission of Switzerland as a Member State of the United Nations.  He said that yesterday Argentina had renewed its solidarity with the people and Government of the United States and had reiterated its condemnation of the 11 September 2001 attacks which had resulted in the death of thousands of innocent people.  Argentina considered that the acts of international terrorism, to which Argentina had also been a victim on its own territory, constituted a threat to international peace and security.  They were also a threat to human dignity and life, to peaceful coexistence and civilization, jeopardizing the stability and consolidation of democracy, as well as the socio-economic development of nations.

The Argentinean delegation supported the proposal presented by Ambassador Celso Amorin (document CD/1624), which was accepted by the Conference as a consultation document to reach agreement on a working programme.  The document was not fully accepted by all delegations.  Recently, the five Ambassadors belonging to different groups had presented an initiative which aimed at resolving the difficulties of the Conference in adopting a consensus programme of work.

Argentina welcomed the work carried out by the delegations of South Africa, the Netherlands, Japan and Australia in order to uphold a dialogue on the issue relating to the negotiation of a treaty prohibiting the production of fissile material, which was considered by the international community as a priority.

ERIC JAVITS (United States) said his country appreciated the moment of silence accorded yesterday by all the United Nations bodies in remembering the heinous attacks of September 11 as his country solemnly marked the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.  None should erase from their minds the horrifying images of commercial airliners being diabolically driven into stately structures, and the awesome aftermath of death and destruction.  But the Conference Member States had to be dispassionate and resolute because there was much work to be done in order to prevent the scourge of terrorism from destroying not just innocent lives, but everything in the civilized world. 

Ambassador Javits said that terrorism was a global problem, and only a resolutely united world could defeat it, as the world had begun to do during the past year.  The Conference was created to play an important role in helping to stem the spread of deadly weapons and the materials from which they were made.  Today, the Conference needed to move as swiftly as, and indeed be one step ahead of, the terrorists that confronted the world.  The international community had accorded the Conference with a pre-eminent role in negotiating the very agreements that would assist in combatting the threats of the twenty-first century.  But still the Conference failed to act.  Out of respect for the victims of

11 September, the Conference and the world owed every means at their disposal to get to work to help insure that never again, anytime, anywhere, would the abomination of 11 September, or one even worse, be repeated.

HENRIK REE IVERSEN (Denmark), speaking on behalf of the European Union,  said that the international community was being challenged by the risks brought about by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.  Security and stability, both globally and regionally, were being threatening by such actions.  A year had now passed since the horrific terrorist attacks against the United States of 11 September 2001.  Those events had given an even greater sense of urgency to the common efforts required from all States to ensure mutual security.

The European Union welcomed the treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions and the joint declaration by Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir V. Putin on the new strategic relationship between the United States and the Russian Federation signed in May 2002 in Moscow.  Furthermore, the European Union welcomed the commitments expressed by States parties to make the improved Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review process a valuable new instrument in the fight against the continued danger of the spread of nuclear weapons -- commitments that had already resulted in the successful launching of the NPT Preparatory Committee which took place in New York in April this year. 

The European Union in particular welcomed the efforts of the Ambassadors of Algeria, Belgium, Colombia, Sweden and Chile to develop a programme of work for the Conference.  It was the hope of the EU that such initiatives would merit constructive attention by all the Conference delegations in the coming months.  The Union urged the Conference to continue to explore all avenues enabling the Conference to start substantive work from the outset of the first session of 2003.

MARY WHELAN (Ireland) said the Conference today closed its session one year after the terrible events of September 2001.  Developments during the past year had put the dangers which the international community faced into stark relief.  The threats spanned the full array of nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional weapons.  Against this background, it did not make sense for the Conference to continue to hold its response to the threats and dangers hostage to any single issue.  Respective national and multilateral interests could be brought together so as to complement one another and be mutually reinforcing.  Ireland continued to favour the early establishment of a subsidiary body to deal specifically with the issue of nuclear disarmament.  Ireland also maintained the view that the Conference should begin negotiations on a treaty dealing with fissile material as provided for under the Shannon mandate. 

Ambassador Whelan said that it was a matter of regret to her to the Conference was unable to give concrete expression to what the Special Coordinator on expansion of the membership of the Conference called an overwhelming majority being in favour of the principle of expansion of membership.  Ireland also continued to regret the reluctance to engage with new non-governmental organizations and State partners, thus missing a valuable opportunity to extend the Conference's influence and to enrich its deliberations.

The Representative of Ireland said her delegation strongly believed that the earnest efforts of the group of five Ambassadors represented a real opportunity for the Conference to re-establish its lead role as the sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations. Not withstanding the remaining difficulties, their efforts had created renewed momentum towards breaking the deadlock on a programme of work. The Conference must build on this positive dynamic to ensure its future viability and all that it stood for.  Ireland supported the Hungarian Presidency's commitment to ongoing, inter-sessional consultations.

KUNIKO INOGUCHI (Japan) reaffirmed the solidarity of her country and its people with the United States in its fight against terrorism.  The attacks of

11 September had affected many innocent citizens, including twenty-four Japanese citizens who happened to be working in the midst of a globalized economy.  The reality of those attacks was much too difficult and irrational for bereaved families to comprehend or accept.  However, many factors underlay that incident, not only the existence of terrorists, but also more structural problems of the current world.  There were international conflicts to be resolved.  There were problems of poverty, underdevelopment, and education, among other things.  The recent World Summit held in Johannesburg had addressed some of those issues and had agreed on a significant plan of action.

She stressed that there was also the problem of the availability of arms.  The Conference could only become relevant to the current reality once it had made a difference in that area.  In fact, this year had been a significant year in disarmament and arms control.  The Moscow Treaty was a major bilateral achievement.  A group of countries, the G-8, also took an important initiative to prevent the proliferation of sensitive technology and material related to weapons of mass destruction.  There had been many important regional initiatives.  All what was lacking now was progress in multilateral disarmament, progress that was supposed to be made in the Conference.  While it was not an easy task for all States to agree on a disarmament step which would affect the national security interests of respective countries, a multilateral achievement, if made, would have a far-reaching impact.

The Conference had just wasted another year.  The current year had seen the development of a strong collective will to make progress in that unique multilateral disarmament body.  The Japanese delegation was encouraged by the cross-group effort made by the five ambassadors. However, the Conference still remained silent, unable to move forward in the new international security environment.

SVERRE BERGH JOHANSEN (Norway) said a year ago, the whole world had responded with shock and horror to the terrorist attacks on the United States.  Combatting international terrorism had become the world's prime objective.  The General Assembly had also adopted a resolution underlining the need for strengthened multilateral cooperation on disarmament and non-proliferation as a contribution to the fight against terrorism.  For those reasons, Norway was particularly concerned about the continued deadlock in the Conference which was undercutting not only the credibility of the Conference but that of multilateralism in general.

Ambassador Johansen said that during the past year, Norway had supported efforts to bring the Conference out of its current impasse.  Norway was particularly encouraged by the recent Five Ambassadors initiative which was well-balanced and a constructive basis for the sorely needed programme of work.  Norway sincerely hoped that the forthcoming inter-sessional consultations would lead to agreement on a programme of work for the Conference.  It was imperative that the Conference get on with its substantive work.

HUBERT FORQUENOT DE LA FORTELLE (France) welcomed Switzerland's admission as a Member State of the United Nations.  Quoting a speech made by France's Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, to the General Assembly in New York on

10 September, he said that Switzerland's admission was a happy event because of the relations between the two countries.  Geography had made Switzerland and France neighbours; and history had made them allies and friends.  The two countries had been at peace since 1515.  The relationship which united both countries was deep, intimate and marked by a confidence which had never been denied.  Their dialogue was constant.  Switzerland was a major actor of the French-speaking community.  Switzerland would now be able to fully contribute to the United Nations all the qualities it possessed.  France, as a founding member of the United Nations, and a supporter of its strengthening, was happy for the event, because Switzerland held the exigencies which were at the heart of the values which united nations.  Switzerland was the only country which was admitted as a result of a popular approval.  Its multicultural and multilingual characters would provide an essential contribution to a dialogue of civilizations, which was today indispensable to the community of nations.

CHRISTIAN FAESSLER (Switzerland) expressed his deep appreciation for the warm welcome extended to his country from the United Nations and its Member States.  This warmth had not been expected after the partial absence of Switzerland for 50 years. The Swiss were very touched by the warm words expressed in Geneva and New York.  He thanked neighbouring France for sponsoring Switzerland's adhesion to the United Nations.  In a few moments, the flag of Switzerland would be raised at the Palais des Nations.  But after the celebrations, Switzerland would have to shoulder its responsibilities and provide its humble contribution to make the world a better place.  Switzerland's admission to the Organization would also inspire it to ensure that the Conference got down to its work on the basis of two principles:  first remembering that peace and security were made for humans, and second, that multilateralism and law were the best ways to preserve peace and security around the world. 

SHAUKAT UMAR (Pakistan) said his country attached great importance to the work of the Conference, which was the only multilateral forum for disarmament.  His country would continue to cooperate with the Conference.  He thanked speakers who had extended kind words of welcome to him.

MOHAMED SALAH DEMBRI (Algeria) said it had not been his intention to speak, but the solemn tone of certain statements had encouraged him to add the voice of Algeria in solidarity with the United States which had been struck with unprecedented terrorist attacks on 11 September.   Algeria's President had been the first world leader to contact President Bush and express his sympathy.  Algeria was an African, Arab, Muslim and Mediterranean country which lay at the cross roads, of the European, African and oriental worlds.  Thus, in following the decisions of the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Arab League, Algeria considered that the 11 September terrorist attacks were carried out by terrorists and members of certain sects who did not reflect Arab and Muslim beliefs.  The world must end oversimplifications by self-proclaimed analysts.  The world had to raise its voice against all those who were looking for an enemy.  The world had to keep its distance from analysts who tried to strengthen fears in the world, not lessen them.  All countries must work together and must come together within the United Nations and engage in united action around the world.  He congratulated Switzerland for its admission to the United Nations.

ANDRAS SZABO (Hungary), President of the Conference on Disarmament, said that today's plenary meeting marked the end of the 2002 session of the Conference on Disarmament which was meeting just one day after the world commemorated the first anniversary of extraordinary events of September 11, 2001.  This was an immense human tragedy which had had a decisive impact on the way the international community perceived the security challenges facing it.  The role of the Conference as the sole multilateral forum with the mandate to negotiate international legal instruments in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation was also put to the

test in the course of this year's celebrations.  The conclusion that could be drawn was not unequivocal.

One could see both negative and positive elements in the activities during the 2002 session.  The fact that the Conference remained idle for the fourth consecutive year was again testimony to the failure of the Member States to agree on a programme of work capable of establishing an equilibrium among diverse interests and priorities.  As a result, the Conference had lost another year to make a substantial contribution to the strengthening of international peace and stability.  The danger continued to loom over the Conference over its marginalization as a useful tool at the disposal of the international community to devise new norms and other measures enhancing global security.

Despite this situation, one could not but be somewhat more optimistic than a year ago.  As proof of the strengthened commitment of its Member States to the revitalization of the Conference, 2002 witnessed more lively debates, and the search for a compromise had been intensified.  Several new initiatives had emerged, injecting new ideas to its collective thinking on a comprehensive and well-balanced programme of work.

Ambassador Szabo said that 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 "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".  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.  Thanks to its unprecedented cross-group character and to the readiness of its authors to take on board additional new ideas, this endeavour stood out as a promising compromise package.  He encouraged the five ambassadors to continue their efforts with a view to evolve their initiative further.

In conclusion, Ambassador Szabo said it was his sincere hope that the momentum created this year would facilitate the work of his successor, Ambassador Rakesh Sood of India, whom he wished much success in performing his duty.

* *** *