2010 Conference on Disarmament: Pakistan Demurs on Fissile

UNCLAS CD GENEVA 000002 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM MNUC CDG PK SUBJECT: 2010 Conference on Disarmament: Pakistan Demurs on Fissile Negotiations ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Pakistan, having delayed adoption of the agenda of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) by one week to January 26, is now publicly temporizing on action to adopt a Program of Work while privately telling the CD President it cannot accept CD/1864 (the 2009 Program of Work) as a basis for this year's program; nor will it accept the start of negotiations on a treaty to end fissile material production (FMCT). During plenary discussions, the U.S. delegation, joined by many others, stressed a sense of urgency in the CD adopting its Program of Work, which should be based on CD/1864, adapted as needed to reflect changed circumstances. Except for Pakistan, the focus of CD delegations remains on adopting a Program of Work and commencing negotiations on the FMCT, with extensive commentary on the need to address verification and the issue of existing nuclear stocks. End Summary. February 2 ¶2. (U) DPRK spoke for the Group of 21 (Non-Aligned Movement) on February 2, with an anodyne statement urging the CD to take the considerations of all states into account when considering and adopting a Program of Work (PoW),noting that CD/1864 was adopted as a result of the flexibility shown by all states. ¶3. (U) The Russian Federation stressed a sense of urgency to adopt a PoW, favoring one similar to CD/1864. The Russian Federation added its top priority is the prevention of an arms race in outeQ space (PAROS) and that in due time the PAROS working group should be given a negotiating mandate. Ambassador Loschinin (Russia) also confirmed commitment to the INF Treaty and repeated the call for its globalization. ¶4. (U) Morocco, Ireland, and Colombia also said CD/1864 should be the basis for the new PoW, while Morocco, Ireland and Indonesia all noted the need for work in the CD on Negative Security Assurances (NSA) and the need to include stocks in an FMCT. Sri Lanka's new Permanent Representative, Ksehnuka Seneviratne, said the CD should build on last year's work in reaching agreement on the 2010 Program of Work. Italy announced that its Deputy Foreign Minister, Vincenzo Scotti, plans to speak at the CD on February 9. February 4 ¶5. (SBU) A very brief formal plenary on February 4 was followed by an informal plenary on the prospective PoW. Ambassador Zamir Akram (Pakistan) avoided all mention of fissile materials, instead stressing that general nuclear disarmament, PAROS and NSAs were important issues to his Delegation, along with the issues he raised at the opening of the CD (missiles and conventional regional disarmament). South Africa reminded the CD of its firm national position opposing negotiation (although not discussion) of NSAs in the CD, stressing its view that NSA negotiations belong in the NPT. The U.S. called for a prompt adoption of a PoW modeled after CD/1864, and underscored that a CD Program of Work must include a mandate for negotiations. ¶6. (SBU) A total of 27 delegations spoke during the informal session, with all speakers except Pakistan supporting the start of FMCT negotiations. Algeria noted that the national interests and circumstances which allowed Pakistan to adopt CD/1864 have since changed, but called for Bangladesh to consult with Pakistan to reach a new PoW. Iran called for adoption of a new PoW, insisting however that it must be explicit that the FMCT mandate includes existing stocks and verification measures. Canada, Mexico, UK, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Morocco, Columbia, the Netherlands, Norway, Argentina, South Africa, Japan, Spain (on behalf of the EU),India, Ukraine, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland all agreed that CD/1864, suitably adapted, should be the basis for the 2010 Program of Work. Negotiations WEOG ¶7. (SBU) The CD President informed the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) on February 5 that "one delegation" (Pakistan) "will not accept CD/1864 as a basis for the 2010 Program of Work, nor a negotiating mandate on FMCT; instead, it would only accept "unstructured discussions" on fissile materials. Pakistan did offer to accept negotiations on general nuclear disarmament, PAROS and NSAs (Comment: It knows there is no consensus for negotiations in the CD on any of those three. End comment.) COMMENT ¶8. (SBU) As observed by several states in WEOG meetings, Pakistan has frequently said off the record in private settings that it is not willing to move forward on the FMCT, but has never said so openly. It has also been even more widely observed, to no avail, that Pakistan agreed as late as December 2 to UNGA Resolution 64/29, which "Urges the CD to agree early in 2010 on a Program of Work that includes the immediate commencement of negotiations" on an FMCT. As the discussion of a PoW continues with no indications of movement from Pakistan the sense of indirection is increasingly palpable among the membership, giving rise to growing interest in seeking alternative avenues in which to promote the CD's work. U.S. Del has continued to note the need for early action in order to provide positive impetus to the NPT RevCon deliberations in May. End comment. LARSON