Submission of revised drafts is postponed at NPT Review Conference
May 24, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer, dispatched from New York
On May 21, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference deferred its plan to adopt revised drafts by the three Main Committees and submit them to Libran Cabactulan, president of the conference, due to strong opposition from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other countries. The confrontation between the nuclear weapon states and NAM has begun to boil and it seems likely that the discussions aimed at the adoption of the revised drafts of agreements by May 28 will proceed with difficulty.
In the discussion which took place that morning in Main Committee 1, the body addressing nuclear disarmament, the chairman of the committee, Boniface Guwa Chidyausiku, proposed that the revised amendments to the draft of agreements be reported to the conference president. This proposal, however, was met by strong opposition from other nations, including Iran, which argued, among other concerns, about the lack of full discussion.
Conflict is also being seen over the revision of the draft compiled by Main Committee 2, which is debating issues related to nuclear non-proliferation and the denuclearization of the Middle East, as well as the draft of Main Committee 3, addressing the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the matter of withdrawal from the NPT. Main Committee 2 was set to initially issue a simple statement that agreement on the draft had not been reached, rather than submitting an amendment to the draft.
Under these circumstances, at the general assembly held late that afternoon, Mr. Cabactulan proposed that the three Main Committees meet again on May 24 to seek consensus on each revised draft so that the three drafts can be submitted in the late afternoon of that day. The parties to the NPT agreed with the president's proposal. They also agreed that the integrated draft of agreements compiled by the president will be discussed at the general assembly to be held on May 25.
The conference was adjourned when criticism mounted over, among other matters, Mr. Cabactulan's strong request that the revised drafts be submitted on May 21, which would have foreshortened discussion in the eyes of some nations. At one point, representatives of the NAM member countries surrounded Mr. Cabactulan to speak with him about the continuing prospects for the conference.
(Originally published on May 23, 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)
On May 21, the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference deferred its plan to adopt revised drafts by the three Main Committees and submit them to Libran Cabactulan, president of the conference, due to strong opposition from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other countries. The confrontation between the nuclear weapon states and NAM has begun to boil and it seems likely that the discussions aimed at the adoption of the revised drafts of agreements by May 28 will proceed with difficulty.
In the discussion which took place that morning in Main Committee 1, the body addressing nuclear disarmament, the chairman of the committee, Boniface Guwa Chidyausiku, proposed that the revised amendments to the draft of agreements be reported to the conference president. This proposal, however, was met by strong opposition from other nations, including Iran, which argued, among other concerns, about the lack of full discussion.
Conflict is also being seen over the revision of the draft compiled by Main Committee 2, which is debating issues related to nuclear non-proliferation and the denuclearization of the Middle East, as well as the draft of Main Committee 3, addressing the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the matter of withdrawal from the NPT. Main Committee 2 was set to initially issue a simple statement that agreement on the draft had not been reached, rather than submitting an amendment to the draft.
Under these circumstances, at the general assembly held late that afternoon, Mr. Cabactulan proposed that the three Main Committees meet again on May 24 to seek consensus on each revised draft so that the three drafts can be submitted in the late afternoon of that day. The parties to the NPT agreed with the president's proposal. They also agreed that the integrated draft of agreements compiled by the president will be discussed at the general assembly to be held on May 25.
The conference was adjourned when criticism mounted over, among other matters, Mr. Cabactulan's strong request that the revised drafts be submitted on May 21, which would have foreshortened discussion in the eyes of some nations. At one point, representatives of the NAM member countries surrounded Mr. Cabactulan to speak with him about the continuing prospects for the conference.
(Originally published on May 23, 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)
