October 2003
In a recent Aide-Memoire entitled "Making the NPT Work in 2005", MPI encourages a number of key European middle power governments to take decisive steps to strengthen the severely challenged Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in the run-up to the 2005 NPT Review Conference. Such steps include supporting the two UN General Assembly Resolutions submitted by the New Agenda Coalition (NAC), renouncing the reliance on nuclear weapons in their national security policies, developing an NPT emergency mechanism, and presuring the United States to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and stop obstructing the adoption of a work program at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. "Whether the 2004 Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting will achieve any substantive recommendations will largely depend on the bridge-building capacity of the NAC," MPI writes in the Aide-Memoire. "That capacity will be even more crucial during the 2005 Review Conference. NATO States that recognize the important role of the NAC and the centrality of a successful 2005 NPT Review Conference need to carefully weigh the impact of their votes at this year's UNGA. Supporting the NAC resolutions would significantly strengthen the NAC's capacity to deal effectively with the Non-Aligned Movement during both the 2004 PrepCom and the 2005 Review Conference."
Middle Powers Initiative
Aide-Memoire "Making the NPT Work in 2005" (download PDF)
October 2003
1) The New Agenda Coalition Resolutions before the 58th UNGA
The New Agenda Coalition (NAC) has proposed two resolutions at the First Committee of the 58th UN General Assembly (UNGA). These resolutions should be viewed in light of both the UNGA and the forthcoming 2005 NPT Review Conference. As was the case at the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the NAC will be playing a central role in the consensus building process that prepares the ground for the 2005 NPT Review Conference. Whether the 2004 Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting will achieve any substantive recommendations will largely depend on the bridge-building capacity of the NAC. That capacity will be even more crucial during the 2005 Review Conference. NATO States that recognize the important role of the NAC and the centrality of a successful 2005 NPT Review Conference need to carefully weigh the impact of their votes at this year's UNGA. Supporting the NAC resolutions would significantly strengthen the NAC's capacity to deal effectively with the Non-Aligned Movement during both the 2004 PrepCom and the 2005 Review Conference.
On substance, the NAC resolutions are accurate and fair. The omnibus resolution is based on the consensus conclusions of the 2000 NPT Review Conference, taking into account specific events and policies that have transpired since. Criticism, to the extent it occurs, is based on widely-accepted principles. The non-strategic (i.e., tactical) nuclear weapons resolution has been modified for greater even-handedness and sensitivity to differences between NATO and Russian practices. It is the only resolution before the UNGA to tackle issues concerning tactical nuclear weapons. A vote in favor of this resolution would signal a genuine willingness to address this important subject, as was promised in the "Thirteen Steps."
MPI strongly urges NATO States to vote in favor of both NAC resolutions before the 58th UNGA.
2) Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and NATO
a. Tactical nuclear weapons
The continuing deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe and the nuclear sharing arrangements generate uncertainty about NATO States' commitments to Articles I, II and VI of the NPT. MPI calls upon NATO nuclear sharing States to take irreversible steps toward the withdrawal of tactical nuclear weapons from their territory and Europe as a whole. Such moves would provide an important signal to the nuclear-weapon States to further reduce their nuclear stockpiles, and to refrain from developing or deploying new nuclear weapons.
b. Nuclear weapon policy
There is also ambiguity regarding the potential role of nuclear weapons with respect to threats from biological, chemical and conventional weapons. MPI calls upon NATO States to make greater efforts in the ongoing NATO review of nuclear policy to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in security policies.
c. Security assurances
Security assurances to non-nuclear States outside nuclear alliances are essential to assure their continued adherence to the NPT. At the 2003 NPT PrepCom, the NAC introduced a working paper on security assurances with a draft protocol. MPI calls upon NATO States to engage with NAC countries and with nuclear-weapon States to advance this proposal.
d. NPT emergency mechanism
At the 2003 NPT PrepCom, Germany proposed that the NPT establish a mechanism to deal with any State intending to withdraw from the treaty. MPI requests NATO States to support and enhance this proposal. Such a mechanism should be developed as soon as possible to address a potential breakout of Iran, Saudi Arabia, or any other State.
3) The Conference on Disarmament, the CTBT, and the 2005 NPT Review
The NPT relies heavily upon the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to "pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating . . . to nuclear disarmament." There is a danger that the CD will completely neglect this trust in the 2000-2005 period. Though the A5 proposal has pointed a way forward for the CD, chances remain high that the opportunity will be squandered. It certainly does not help that the single achievement of the CD in the 1995-2000 period, the CTBT, is currently jeopardized by the withdrawal of support by one of the NPT nuclear-weapon States. If there is no improvement in this dismal record for multilateral nuclear arms control prior to the 2005 NPT Review, how can that Review in good faith return to the CD and call upon that body to advance the implementation of Article VI of the NPT?
It is imperative that there be a breakthrough at the CD, and that the future of the CTBT be secured. In MPI's view, the time has come for the Western Group to make a concession on behalf of genuine compromise at the CD.
Furthermore, MPI calls upon all US allies to mount intense pressure on the United States for it to help close the door forever on nuclear testing. Generally, multilateral processes - the NPT foremost among them - need the consistent support of NATO States in the face of damaging unilateralist tendencies.
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