MPI Event Report
United Nations, New York
October 12, 2006
By Jim Wurst
UNITED NATIONS -the Middle Powers Initiative sponsored a panel entitled, "Revitalizing Nuclear Disarmament Norms: The Role of the Middle Powers" on October 12, 2006. The Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C., the Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative, opened the session stating that "disarmament norms" are based in certain principles encapsulated in what is written in a treaty as well as the treaty's intent. While the people in the people listening to the panel would know what is meant by "disarmament norms," the general public might react with puzzled looks. He added, "Yet, instinctively, they know what disarmament norms are even as powerful voices in society would like the world to think there are no such things." This, he noted, shows the strength of human decency. H.E. Alfredo Labbé, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, expressed his gratitude for the work of the MPI. Labbé acknowledged the significant of the political impact of the North Korea test and called for a "cool-headed collective answer." Ambassador Labbé urged multilateral, rather than unilateral, action within the boundaries of the UN system. The real evil here is the nuclear weapons, he noted, and all proliferators are bad. Just because some hold nuclear weapons, that is not justification to acquire them or ignore obligations under the NPT. During the next review of the NPT, a positive mindset is required as it can not afford to fail. The Chilean government feels that proliferation poses an urgent threat, and the political importance of possessing nuclear weapons needs to be devalued. Nevertheless, North Korea is a sovereign state, entitled to legitimate security requirements within the collective security framework. As a result, political leaders need to engage and negotiate.
Jennifer Nordstrom of Reaching Critical Will started off by citing a 2003 New York Times article calling civil society "the new superpower." Following on from this point, she quoted polls showing that the vast majority of people and governments want nuclear disarmament. To bring this about, civil society uses a variety of methods to get change in government and policy, namely creating public pressure. Mayors for Peace and Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament are two groups that are working towards nuclear disarmament. So too is Abolition Now Campaign which was responsible for the 40,000 person march in New York City against the Iraq War. She also passes about a flyer illustrating the amount of money spent on arms and the amount of money needed to handle the most pressing of humanitarian concerns, depicting the shunting of resources.
Randy Rydell from the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs spoke on the crisis in North Korea as striking against the international norm against nuclear testing. Despite the fact that the word "norm" had only appeared in two resolutions in 2005, the UN disarmament machinery was designed to identify, establish, maintain and change norms. Currently, there is "rust" in the disarmament machinery. He referred to a speech by Jayantha Dhanapala, the former UN Under Secretary General for Disarmament, where he coined the terms "sustainable disarmament:" disarmament as a live political coalition throughout society; "disarmament stewardship," that policy makers need to have disarmament as a specific focus for public policy; and "a disarmament complex," which is meant to have an institutional network that seeks to work towards disarmament goals. There was also "indices of disarmament" to measure progress on disarmament to promote accountability.
Issues for disarmament, as detailed in the report of the WMD Commission, Weapons of Terror, that need to be resolved are compliance, standards setting needs upgrade the quality of safeguards, the adoption of codes of conduct, and a call universal standards of export controls, Rydell said. There is also the need for new law, including the entry into force of the CTBT, fissile materials treaty, treaties on negative security assurances and a ban nuclear weapons entirely.
Peter Weiss, the President of the Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy argued that excessive focus (as in the war on terror) excludes focus on other priorities. He acknowledged the role that the U.S. played in the past in fostering international law. Peter Weiss referenced the book, World Peace through World Law and stressed the need to find linkages among issues. He concurred with Nordstrom for the need to make the civil society a "superpower" and also spoke of the need to use "the savings from disarmament for development." Regarding international law on nuclear weapons, Weiss pointed out that 1996 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on nuclear weapons is "merely advisory," but it does represent the current state of international law. The threat and use of nuclear weapons is incompatible with international law and must be in compliance with humanitarian law. He also stressed the importance of middle powers in establishing treaty norms, citing Malta's role in creating the Law of the Sea Treaty.
The session was attended delegates and NGOS and by several distinguished guests, including Harlan Cleveland, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs under President John F. Kennedy and as U.S. Ambassador to NATO under President Lyndon B. Johnson. |
