Target years are removed from initial draft on nuclear abolition at NPT
May 21, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer, dispatched from New York
On May 19, the chairman of the subsidiary body for Main Committee 1, addressing nuclear disarmament, submitted an amendment to the "Action Plan" found in the initial draft agreements presented to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference being held at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Most of the target years that had been included in the initial draft, with regard to nuclear abolition, were removed. The amendment appears to be a product of compromise with the nuclear weapon states and will surely be met by a backlash from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
According to the initial draft, consultations by nuclear weapon states shall be convened "not later than 2011 to accelerate concrete progress on nuclear disarmament" and the nuclear weapons states "shall report back to States parties in 2012." However, in the amendment, the year 2011 was altered to "timely" and the year 2012 was changed to "within the upcoming review cycle."
The language "convene an international conference in 2014 to consider ways and means to agree on a roadmap for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons within a specified timeframe" was altered to read "convene an open-ended high-level meeting" and the phrase "within a specified timeframe" was deleted.
Action 19, "The nuclear-weapon States undertake to declare all weapons-usable fissile material stocks by 2012, and are encouraged also to provide information on past production," was completely removed. Language calling for transparency in terms of the stockpiles the nuclear weapon states hold was watered down.
The amendment, however, called for discussion on declarations of the no-first-use of nuclear weapons, which was not included in the initial draft. The nuclear weapon states, apart from China, are reluctant to adopt a declaration of no-first-use. A reaction from them can therefore be expected.
Libran Cabactulan, president of the NPT Review Conference, has asked that the three Main Committees submit their amendments to their respective drafts by May 21.
(Originally published on May 21, 2010)
Related articles
Conflicts emerge in NPT discussions over draft agreements (May 20, 2010)
NPT Review Conference reaches midpoint (May 18, 2010)
NPT confab calls for international conference for nuclear abolition in 2014 (May 17, 2010)
On May 19, the chairman of the subsidiary body for Main Committee 1, addressing nuclear disarmament, submitted an amendment to the "Action Plan" found in the initial draft agreements presented to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference being held at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Most of the target years that had been included in the initial draft, with regard to nuclear abolition, were removed. The amendment appears to be a product of compromise with the nuclear weapon states and will surely be met by a backlash from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
According to the initial draft, consultations by nuclear weapon states shall be convened "not later than 2011 to accelerate concrete progress on nuclear disarmament" and the nuclear weapons states "shall report back to States parties in 2012." However, in the amendment, the year 2011 was altered to "timely" and the year 2012 was changed to "within the upcoming review cycle."
The language "convene an international conference in 2014 to consider ways and means to agree on a roadmap for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons within a specified timeframe" was altered to read "convene an open-ended high-level meeting" and the phrase "within a specified timeframe" was deleted.
Action 19, "The nuclear-weapon States undertake to declare all weapons-usable fissile material stocks by 2012, and are encouraged also to provide information on past production," was completely removed. Language calling for transparency in terms of the stockpiles the nuclear weapon states hold was watered down.
The amendment, however, called for discussion on declarations of the no-first-use of nuclear weapons, which was not included in the initial draft. The nuclear weapon states, apart from China, are reluctant to adopt a declaration of no-first-use. A reaction from them can therefore be expected.
Libran Cabactulan, president of the NPT Review Conference, has asked that the three Main Committees submit their amendments to their respective drafts by May 21.
(Originally published on May 21, 2010)
Related articles
Conflicts emerge in NPT discussions over draft agreements (May 20, 2010)
NPT Review Conference reaches midpoint (May 18, 2010)
NPT confab calls for international conference for nuclear abolition in 2014 (May 17, 2010)
