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Conflicts emerge in NPT discussions over draft agreements

by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer, dispatched from New York

The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference being held at United Nations Headquarters in New York continued to hold discussions on draft agreements on May 18. Conflicting positions rose sharply into view on the second day of debate.

In Main Committee 2, which is addressing nuclear non-proliferation, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) submitted amendments to 60 of the 72 items listed in the draft under such headings as "Action Plan" and "Reaffirmation of Commitments." Among the calls made by NAM is the addition of wording which would make concluding an additional protocol, intended to strengthen the authority of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with regard to verification, the decision of each member state as well as the deletion of language that offers praise for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), an entity that controls nuclear-related exports.

In response, Japan said that NAM seems to take a dim view of the additional protocol and NSG. Some countries which are putting strong emphasis on strengthening IAEA inspections, like the United States, joined in criticizing NAM.

Egypt, which will chair the NAM Summit, pointed out that the NSG has permitted the provision of nuclear technology to India, a non-signatory to the NPT. Egypt argued that it cannot praise the NSG because its actions are in violation of the NPT regime. Iran followed suit, saying that the NPT does not make mention of an additional protocol.

The chairman of Main Committee 2 is planning to submit the amended draft, which will take the states' views into account, as early as May 20. However, the prospect for this timeline, as well as the contents of the revised draft, are unclear given such circumstances as the additional sanctions against Iran that will likely be adopted by the U.N. Security Council.

Meanwhile, Main Committee 1, discussing nuclear disarmament, debated its own draft in its closed-door subsidiary body. According to participants at the meeting, the nuclear weapon states are growing increasingly vocal in their criticism of proposals for a road map for nuclear abolition and an action plan for a nuclear weapons convention.

(Originally published on May 20)

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