Statement 126 - Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General

Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General

Geneva, Switzerland

Address: Chemin des Fins 2, Case Postale 102, 1211 Geneva 19 - Telephone: 022 799 9100 - Fax: 022 799 9178

Conference on Disarmament
Statement by Mr Paul Wilson
Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the Conference on Disarmament

6 July 2010

Mr President,

I wish to record for the benefit of the Conference that the final meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament took place in Vienna 2-4 July.

The Commission’s final communiqué, available at http://www.icnnd.org/releases/100705_vienna_communique.pdf, underlines the thoughtful and practical contribution the Commission has made to the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation debate.

The Commission’s establishment in September 2008 as a joint Australian-Japanese initiative reflected our two countries’ shared objectives and interests in international nuclear policy issues.

Although the Commission was established and supported by the Australian and Japanese Governments, it was independent – staunchly so. The Co-chairs and other Commissioners were appointed in their personal capacities, in recognition of their high-calibre credentials. The Commission’s value and credibility have been founded on that independence.

Mr President,

Australia expected the Commission to make a substantial contribution to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and to a positive outcome at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York in May this year. In this regard, we have not been disappointed.

The Commission communiqué welcomes the successful conclusion of the 2010 NPT Review Conference. The Commission takes a largely positive view of Review Conference outcomes and notes, to its great credit, that a majority of the relevant recommendations in its report (Eliminating Nuclear Threats, launched in Tokyo on 15 December 2009 and available at http://www.icnnd.org/reference/reports/ent/index.html) are reflected, wholly or in part, in the Review Conference’s action plan.

Australia agrees with the Commissioners that the NPT Review Conference, the New START treaty and President Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit have together made very welcome and positive contributions to international peace and security.

Australia also believes that the Commissioners have rightly identified major steps for further progress. These include:

ratification by key states of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT);
conclusion by all states of Additional Protocols to their safeguards agreements with the IAEA; and
commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT).

Mr President,

Australia congratulates the Commission’s Co-chairs, Professor Gareth Evans and Ms Yoriko Kawaguchi, and the 13 other Commissioners, on their work. Australia believes that their report, Eliminating Nuclear Threats, will continue to contribute to advancing both debate and action on nuclear non- proliferation and disarmament objectives.

I thank you.