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