The InterDependent

The recently revived momentum by the United States and other parties for nuclear disarmament received further impetus at the United Nations’ international conference on the issue in May.

Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses the NPT meeting at the UN in May 2010. Though the event was generally deemed suc

It is a testament to the 172 members that have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (out of 190 members in total) who were present at the eighth review conference in New York that they agreed on a document strengthening the three pillars of the NPT, as it is known: nonproliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The most significant achievement of the conference was the agreement to carry out the 1995 resolution on the Middle East - 15 years later - to hold a conference in 2012 on establishing a regional zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and to include the appointment of a facilitator to consult and prepare the event. Arab countries, led by Egypt’s Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz, and the US delegation worked hard in a special subsidiary body, chaired by Ambassador Alison Kelly of Ireland, to achieve this goal.

While resistance from nuclear weapon states diluted optimum results on disarmament, the action plan is, by common consent, an improvement over the 2000 review conference document. All treaty members are committed to pursuing irreversible, verifiable and transparent policies that would lead to a world free of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons countries also agreed to carry out their “unequivocal undertaking” to eliminate their nuclear arsenals totally.

The conference noted the UN secretary-general's five-point proposal for nuclear disarmament, which includes negotiation of a nuclear weapons convention. In addition, nuclear weapons countries committed themselves to an action plan to speed up disarmament, promising to engage among themselves more promptly on specific issues.

The positive outcome reflects new political leadership throughout the world and a strong current of global public opinion channeled by nongovernmental organizations. It is hoped that this synergy will grow despite obstacles that could block the attainment of a nuclear weapons free world.

In addition, questions remain from the review conference, including: Did the mountain labor and produce only a mouse? Were the nonnuclear weapon countries giving President Obama an encouraging vote of thanks so that he can remain in the White House and ensure further disarmament in a second term?
Finally, the divided views attributed in the final declaration to “a majority of states parties” and to “numerous parties” cannot be sustained and need to be resolved within the NPT.

Two representative opinions at the end emerged from the US and Egyptian delegations.

“The Final Document this Conference adopted today advances President Obama’s vision. It reflects our collective commitment to uphold and strengthen this cornerstone of the international nonproliferation regime. It also demonstrates our unified resolve to strengthen the Treaty’s three pillars – disarmament, nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy – with the inclusion of recommendations for follow-on actions. This forward-looking and balanced action plan establishes benchmarks for future progress and concrete actions.” Ellen Tauscher, US delegation, said.

The Egyptian ambassador, speaking on behalf of the nonaligned countries, conceded that they did not achieve all they wanted but had decided to “take advantage of the emerging good will.”

The final document of the conference was regarded by Egypt as a basis for “a deal” in future years, and the ambassador promised to pursue nonaligned movement priorities in the runup to the 2015 review conference. This included the elimination of all nuclear weapons by 2025, beginning the negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention and a Negative Security Assurances treaty (guarantees by nuclear weapons countries not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against countries that have officially renounced such arms).

The nonproliferation treaty has survived its latest hurdle, so it has another five years to sort matters out, as tensions in the main bargain remain. Carrying out the action plan embracing all three pillars in the document will be crucial, as will be making progress on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty ratifications by the US.

The future of the talks on North Korea and the resolution over Iran’s nuclear program will also determine the course of the NPT.

Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses the NPT meeting at the UN in May 2010. Though the event was generally deemed suc