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NPT PrepCom 2008

2008 NPT PrepCom: Decisions taken, Security Assurances debated

May 6, 2008

Rebecca Johnson

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The NPT PrepCom in Geneva today took six important decisions to facilitate the organizing and holding of its third meeting in 2009 and the eighth NPT Review Conference in 2010. Towards the end of the afternoon (May 6), the Chair of the PrepCom, Ambassador Volodyrmyr Yelchenko read out each of the proposals and, hearing no objections, brought his gavel down on adoption of the decisions. The seats behind some nameplates appeared to have been vacated, but whether this was due to other pressing engagements or the exercise of 'diplomatic absence' I could not possibly say.

The decisions came after the Chair had received assurances in his consultations with key players, while the PrepCom cluster debates chewed their way through more than 50 statements and a higher rate of 'rights to reply' than usual, most of which seemed to relate to Iran and Syria. However, there was an illuminating spat late on Monday when first Russia and then China exercised their right of reply to take issue with how a UK statement had characterised the talks in London on the Middle East, including the P5+1 discussions on Iran and the Quartet on the peace process.

Most of Monday and part of Tuesday were spent on statements about IAEA safeguards, the Additional Protocol, nuclear weapon free zones, regional issues and the Middle East. The PrepCom has also moved swiftly into Cluster 3, which covers issues related to Article IV (nuclear energy), including nuclear fuel cycle safety and security, as well as proposals for multinational alternatives to national programmes for uranium enrichment and plutonium separation.

This update from the Acronym Institute will cover the decisions taken today and the issue of security assurances, now that I have managed to get hold of most of the relevant statements on this.

Decisions on organisation, funding, dates and venue for future meetings

In accordance with the decisions adopted today, the PrepCom has decided that the Third PrepCom will be held in New York from May 4 to May 15, 2009, and be chaired by Ambassador Boniface Guwa Chidyausiki of Zimbabwe. It has also been decided that the Eighth Review Conference of the NPT will be held in New York from April 26 to May 21, 2010. The Chair for the Review Conference has not yet been nominated. The post traditionally goes to a NAM state and by the processes of regional rotation is likely to come from the Asia-Pacific region.

In view of visa concerns raised by some NAM countries, including Iran, Syria and Venezuela, the Chair gave an accompanying statement on the record. He acknowledged that concerns have been expressed regarding the issuing of visas, and said that he had held consultations with representatives from the host countries who assured him of their intention to facilitate access in accordance with normal diplomatic procedures.

The PrepCom also agreed to the in-principle appointment of the Secretary-General for the Review Conference, who will be a senior official of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs. The formal nomination will be made by the UN Secretary-General in consultation with PrepCom members, and the official would then be authorised organize for the Review Conference in the expectation of the nomination being formally confirmed by the 2010 Conference on the first day.

The other two decisions concerned the funding of NPT meetings. The draft text provided in earlier Acronym reports was