|
2002
PrepCom
The First Preparatory
Committee (PrepCom) for the 2005 NPT Review Conference was held in New
York from April 8-19, 2002. This PrepCom was the first meeting of NPT
States after the 2000 NPT Review Conference adopted a Final Document
that
included an unequivocal undertaking by the NWS to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. Of the 187
state parties to the NPT, 137 participated,
and Cuba attended as an observer. Representatives of 62 non-governmental
organizations participated.
The meeting was
chaired by Ambassador Henrik Salander of Sweden. The Chairman issued
the
Chair's Factual Summary under his own responsibility. It was obvious
that the terrorists attacks of September 11 significantly
influenced the meeting.
The Chair's Factual Summary emphasized the importance of multilateralism
and multilateral treaties as a tool of international security. The universality
of the treaty and full compliance with its provisions by both nuclear
weapon states (NWS) and non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS) were also emphasized.
The substantive
issues included: nuclear disarmament, including non-strategic
nuclear weapons; compliance with nuclear nonproliferation commitments;
the universality of the NPT; regional issues; IAEA safeguards; security
assurances; nuclear-weapon-free zones; export controls; and peaceful
uses of nuclear energy, including transport of nuclear materials. In
addition, the
United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education
was mentioned both in the national statements and in the factual
summary.
Of these issues, the new important areas are non-strategic nuclear
weapons, disarmament education, and nuclear material protection in light
of the prospect of nuclear terrorism. The non-strategic nuclear weapons
issue is noteworthy because the issue had not been given much attention
in the NPT context before. In the German working paper, the most detailed
language regarding non-strategic nuclear weapons was introduced. The
working paper included the proposal for the formalization of the U.S.
and Russian Presidential
Nuclear Initiatives of 1991 and 1992, and the negotiation of verifiable
and irreversible reductions of these countries' weapons. These proposals were noted
in the Chair's Factual Summary. Sweden, Finland, and the New Agenda
Coalition (NAC) members were also vocal proponents on this issue.
With regard to disarmament and nonproliferation education, Japan,
Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, and Uzbekistan mentioned the work of the UN Experts
Group on Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education.
Reporting on the implementation of the treaty, the 1995 Decision on
"Principles
and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament," the
1995 Resolution
on the Middle East, and the Final
Document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference raised contentious issues
between NWS and NNWS. Many NNWS, including Canada and members of NAC,
proposed that reports be submitted to each session of the PrepCom.
Although a number of states supported comprehensive reports covering all
aspects of the treaty and the "Thirteen Practical Steps" from the 2000 Final Document,
the United States and the other NWS expressed their opposition to this
attempt to standardize reporting requirements.
In the arena of implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments by the NWS and nonproliferation compliance by the NNWS, major confrontations were expected before the PrepCom. Although there was a common perception that the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review demonstrated the United States' backtracking on commitments of nuclear disarmament in terms of the Thirteen Practical Steps", on the surface, the PrepCom concluded relatively smoothly.
|