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Removal of target years for nuclear abolition stirs criticism at NPT confab

by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer, dispatched from New York

Criticism erupted at the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference on May 20 over an amendment to the "Action Plan" for nuclear disarmament found in the initial draft compiled by Main Committee 1, involved in discussions over nuclear disarmament. In the amendment submitted on May 19, most target years in the process of abolishing nuclear weapons were removed.

The subsidiary body for Main Committee 1, which is in charge of this "Action Plan," held a closed-door session to discuss the amendment. According to participants of this subcommittee, the removal of the target years, including 2014, the target year for an international conference to create a road map for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, drew criticism from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Among its remarks, NAM said that the amendment served no purpose with the target years removed. As a result, the chairman of the subsidiary body was to review the amendment and a new amendment would be submitted on the morning of May 21.

Meanwhile, with the suspected nuclear weapons development of Iran in mind, the nuclear weapon states are reportedly deeply displeased with the language "unconditional and legally binding" in the amendment with regard to "negative security assurances," in which the nuclear powers would pledge not to attack non-nuclear states.

On the day, the "Revised Chairman's Draft on Substantive Elements," which is a review of the operation of the articles of the NPT, as well as the revised draft of agreements, apart from the "Resolution on the Middle East," were submitted by the chairs of Committee 1 and Committee 2, respectively.

The discussion on the revised drafts of agreements being conducted in each of the three Main Committees enters a critical stage on May 21. After the revised drafts of agreement are submitted by the committees, full negotiations will be held to integrate the three drafts into one for unanimous adoption at the NPT Review Conference.

(Originally published on May 22, 2010)

Related articles
Target years are removed from initial draft on nuclear abolition at NPT (May 21, 2010)
Conflicts emerge in NPT discussions over draft agreements (May 20, 2010)
NPT Review Conference reaches midpoint (May 18, 2010)

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