Coordinators for contentious issues are appointed at NPT Review confab
May 28, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer, dispatched from New York
On May 26, at the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Libran Cabactulan, president of the conference, appointed four coordinators to facilitate the discussion in four contentious areas of the final declaration, and closed-door discussions for each area began. With May 28, the closing date of the conference, drawing near, diligent coordination efforts continue.
On this day, the draft of the final declaration was discussed until the late afternoon at the general assembly. Then four sessions began on the following subjects: nuclear disarmament, a regional issue (the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East), nuclear inspections, and institutional issues (including strengthening the treaty system).
According to diplomatic sources, in the area of nuclear disarmament coordinated by the delegate from Austria, the clash between the nuclear weapon states, which are opposed to the request to include target years for nuclear abolition efforts, and the non-nuclear weapon states, which call for the inclusion of concrete dates, still persists.
With regard to institutional issues, measures to improve the system, which include putting a permanent staff in charge of the NPT, are being discussed. By putting people in charge of the NPT, the operation of the articles of the treaty can continually be reviewed as opposed to every five years at the review conference. However, some nuclear weapon states are reportedly unwilling to go along with this idea.
The results of the closed-door meetings are being reported to Mr. Cabactulan by 1 p.m. on May 27. Mr. Cabactulan will propose a final draft by the late afternoon of that day to aim for the adoption of the draft on May 28.
Some European diplomatic sources are doubtful about the adoption of the final declaration, saying that time is running out and no compromises have been made. Other such sources believe that, on the other hand, if the participants permit too much compromise with regard to the document in order to adopt it, a strong backlash will be provoked. Prospects for the conference are now uncertain.
(Originally published on May 28, 2010)
Related articles
NPT conference discusses first draft of Final Declaration (May 27, 2010)
President of NPT conference proposes draft of agreements (May 26, 2010)
Battle over drafting of agreements continues in final week of NPT confab (May 25, 2010)
On May 26, at the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Libran Cabactulan, president of the conference, appointed four coordinators to facilitate the discussion in four contentious areas of the final declaration, and closed-door discussions for each area began. With May 28, the closing date of the conference, drawing near, diligent coordination efforts continue.
On this day, the draft of the final declaration was discussed until the late afternoon at the general assembly. Then four sessions began on the following subjects: nuclear disarmament, a regional issue (the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East), nuclear inspections, and institutional issues (including strengthening the treaty system).
According to diplomatic sources, in the area of nuclear disarmament coordinated by the delegate from Austria, the clash between the nuclear weapon states, which are opposed to the request to include target years for nuclear abolition efforts, and the non-nuclear weapon states, which call for the inclusion of concrete dates, still persists.
With regard to institutional issues, measures to improve the system, which include putting a permanent staff in charge of the NPT, are being discussed. By putting people in charge of the NPT, the operation of the articles of the treaty can continually be reviewed as opposed to every five years at the review conference. However, some nuclear weapon states are reportedly unwilling to go along with this idea.
The results of the closed-door meetings are being reported to Mr. Cabactulan by 1 p.m. on May 27. Mr. Cabactulan will propose a final draft by the late afternoon of that day to aim for the adoption of the draft on May 28.
Some European diplomatic sources are doubtful about the adoption of the final declaration, saying that time is running out and no compromises have been made. Other such sources believe that, on the other hand, if the participants permit too much compromise with regard to the document in order to adopt it, a strong backlash will be provoked. Prospects for the conference are now uncertain.
(Originally published on May 28, 2010)
Related articles
NPT conference discusses first draft of Final Declaration (May 27, 2010)
President of NPT conference proposes draft of agreements (May 26, 2010)
Battle over drafting of agreements continues in final week of NPT confab (May 25, 2010)
