United Nations Convenes Crucial Nuclear Weapons Meeting
States Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and members from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), will convene in New York for the NPT Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) from 4 to 15 May 2009 in order to discuss key matters under consideration for the Review Conference (RevCon) in 2010.
States Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and
members from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), will convene in New
York for the NPT Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) from 4 to 15 May 2009
in order to discuss key matters under consideration for the Review
Conference (RevCon) in 2010. The prominent themes that will feature
include:
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Reviewing the operation of the Treaty;
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Considering principles and objectives to promote full implementation;
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The universalisation of the Treaty;
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Establishing a reporting mechanism for nuclear disarmament as well as a standing NPT secretariat.
What is the NPT?
The NPT is a multilateral treaty, which opened for signature on the
1st of July 1968 and entered into force on the 5th of March 1970. With
the principle aim of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and
striving for global nuclear disarmament, the NPT is structured according
to three pillars: Non-proliferation, Disarmament and Peaceful use of
nuclear energy.
The NPT is unique due to the two distinct divisions of States Parties:
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Nuclear weapon states (NWS): Under the treaty they are defined
as the five states [United States, Russian Federation, United Kingdom,
France and China] which detonated a nuclear device before January 1967;
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Non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS): Under the treaty they are
defined as those who never had, or who have given up their nuclear
weapons.
As required by the NPT, a review conference takes place every five
years. In preparation for a RevCon, three PrepCom meetings are held to
assess the implementation of each article of the NPT, and facilitate
discussions among States with a view to making recommendations to the
RevCon. The 2009 NPT PrepCom is of particular importance as it is the
third and final PrepCom session preceding the 2010 RevCon.
Why is the NPT important for Africa?
Historically, only three African states – Egypt, Libya and South
Africa – have openly expressed an interest in joining the “nuclear
club”, but all three countries abandoned their nuclear ambitions. South
Africa, the only African country to have fully developed nuclear weapons
and nuclear fuel chain, dismantled its nuclear weapons capabilities in
1990 and became a signatory to the NPT in 1991.
All African states are parties to the NPT, which reflects the
continent’s commitment to the three pillars of the Treaty –
non-proliferation, disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
African states and organisations have also proven their commitment to
these tenets by passing several resolutions against nuclear weapons, for
example against French nuclear tests in the Sahara desert in the early
1960s, and also by developing the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone
Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba), which opened for signature in 1996.
The Treaty of Pelindaba commits African countries not to manufacture,
acquire, test, or possess nuclear weapons, and also facilitates the use
of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes on the continent. It also
includes a protocol for the five NWS to sign and ratify, and therefore
to respect the status of the zone. This also ensures that NWS commit not
to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any African country
thereby providing “negative security assurances” to African states. The
Treaty of Pelindaba maintains and enhances Africa’s regional peace and
security and promotes the global goal of a world free of nuclear
weapons. The Treaty also contributes to the developmental imperatives
facing the continent by, for example, regulating nuclear-related
industries – such as uranium mining.
Key Issues for Africa: Ensuring a Successful 2010 Review Cycle
The Third PrepCom is particularly significant for Africa, as
Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to
the United Nations, has been elected to chair the 2009 meeting. This is
an important position, as the PrepCom is the last process before the
2010 Review Conference. This position also ensures that he will chair
Main Committee 1 of the RevCon in 2010, which deals with the crucial
aspect of nuclear disarmament.
African states’ involvement in the 2010 NPT review cycle should
reflect their recent participation in the 63rd session of the United
Nations General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and
International Security in November 2008, where a number of African
states actively participated in the process, including the drafting and
sponsoring of resolutions.
Therefore, in the lead up to, and during the 2009 PrepCom and the 2010 RevCon, African States should (amongst others):
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Actively support the Chair of the 2009 PrepCom, Zimbabwe’s
Ambassador Chidyausiku, as he strives to ensure that States Parties
co-operate in pursuit of common and agreed objectives to strengthen the
future implementation of the NPT.
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Ensure that the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (Treaty
of Pelindaba) enters into force before the 2010 RevCon – given its
importance as a key component to strengthen the objectives of the NPT.
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Assist and encourage NWS to accomplish the goal of total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
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Support the entry into force of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (which has been open for signature since
September 1996).
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Reflect on the need for a simply phrased agenda for the NPT
Review Conference –avoiding a situation where procedural arrangements
and language become an issue to stall substantive discussions.
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Consider the need for an overhauled NPT process as a way to
increase transparency, accountability and as an essential
confidence-building measure.
Amelia du Rand and Gugu Dube, Junior Researchers, Arms Management Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)
