The First Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) met from 30 April to 11 May 2012 at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
This year, the PrepCom provided a forum for substantive exchange of views on all aspects of the NPT, including disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
During the two-week deliberations Parties to the Treaty has discussed the actions that many nations have taken to follow up on the 2010 NPT Review Conference, to implement the 2010 NPT Action Plan, and to establish priorities for the 2015 Review Conference.
Along with more than 100 nations, the UAE contributed through the general debate of at Preparatory Committee sessions and through joint-submission of various working papers relating various aspects of nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Further, the UAE delegation was actively engaged in several outreach activities and side events.
The UAE delegation was led by Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi, Permanent Representative to the IAEA, and comprised officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Government entities.
Jointly with member states of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) the UAE contributed to four working papers on disarmament transparency, Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) as well as on the implementation of the Additional Protocol which were submitted jointly by the NPDI group to the NPT PrepCom.
In conjunction with members of Arab League, the UAE also submitted another three working papers addressing disarmament, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and implementation of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East. In this regard, the UAE highlighted the importance of the establishment of the Middle East Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ) to assure global peace and security.
“The establishment of the nuclear-weapon- free zone in the Middle East is a long due and important step for NPT regime. The UAE appreciates the efforts being made for a successful 2012 conference.” ”Progress on the establishment of such a zone in the Middle East will demonstrate the effectiveness of the Treaty to achieve its objectives”, said Ambassador Alkaabi in his key general debate statement.
This session of the NPT PrepCom was the first of three to be held prior to the 2015 Review Conference. The next session will take place in Geneva 22 April - 3 May 2013.
Full text of the UAE can be found at http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Nuclear/NPT2015/PrepCom2012/statements/20120502/UAEmirates_EN.pdf
Side event: Assistance for Safeguards implementation
Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi joined a panel organized by the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna for the NPT PrepCom participants on 8 May 2012.
The panel discussions addressed the technical cooperation and assistance available to NPT Parties in implementing IAEA safeguards agreements, including Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA), and Additional Protocols (APs).
The side event was moderated by U.S. Ambassador Susan Burk along with the panel, comprising Ambassador Alkaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the IAEA; Mr. Taisuke Mibae, Department for Nonproliferation and Disarmament of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr.Jinho Chung, Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Control; Mr. Matthew Van Sickle, U.S. Department of Energy; and Mr. Andreas Persbo, VERTIC expert on verification research, training and data centre.
The panel of high-level international experts provided a brief overview of their cooperative activities, including training, technical and regulatory assistance, and other areas of cooperation.
Addressing the implementation of the CSA and Additional Protocol agreements, Ambassador Alkaabi shared the UAE’s practices in bringing its international commitments into force and implementing the agreements’ requirements into National practice. Ambassador also highlighted the key role of the IAEA assistance to the UAE Government in establishing a national nuclear infrastructure and developing legal framework.
He also shared challenges facing nuclear new comers and the lessons learned in addressing such challenges.
Side event: NPDI Outreach
In course of the NPT side events, the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands hosted the panel of Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) group to raise awareness about the initiative and its working papers among the NPT delegates, NGO representatives, and other participants of the PrepCom.
During the panel discussion, Ambassador Alkaabi of the UAE talked about importance of Additional Protocol as well as on different strategies to promote its universality.
Other panellists included representatives of the NPDI Member States: Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, and Turkey.
The NPDI, a cross-regional group of 10 states submitted four working papers to this year’s PrepCom, transparency in nuclear disarmaments, on the Fissile Material Cut-off-Treaty (FMCT), the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) as well as the for the promotion of the Additional Protocol.
Full text of the working papers can be found online at http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Nuclear/NPT2015/PrepCom2012/documents.html
Questions from participants of the side event followed after the panel discussion.
The NPDI was founded in June 2011 to promote and support implementation of the commitments made by all NPT Member States in the Action plan of 2010 NPT Review Conference, and advocate further progress through practical contributions and proposals.
The UAE acceded to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1995.
