DISARMAMENT: Agonising Negotiation to save Nuclear Treaty

By Gustavo Capdevila Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Capdevila

GENEVA, Aug 16 1996 (IPS) - Diplomats from 61 countries will continue agonising negotiations this weekend in an attempt to save the nuclear test ban treaty, and the Disarmament Conference itself.

US ambassador to the Disarmament Conference, Stephen Ledogar, hinted Friday there was still a possibility that India could modify its position – one of the main causes of the failure of the treaty.

India has only ever carried out one nuclear test, in 1974, while the other five nuclear powers (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) have carried out more than 2,000.

Until now the discussion of the details of the draft treaty have taken place in a special committee created by the Disarmament Conference.

But the committee formally admitted this week that consensus had not been reached for the approval of the document, which has been in production since January 1994.

New Delhi complained that the draft treaty lacked real will for nuclear disarmament and established “unacceptable” conditions for its ratification.

Diplomatic sources, meanwhile, said India’s main objection was that it had been left out of the nuclear club.

The Indian opposition prevented the special committee from being able to present its results to the Disarmament Conference, as concensus was needed.

Ledogar suggested the Indian attitude may change in the plenary of the Disarmament Conference, which has called an extraordinary session for next Tuesday.

“We will try to obtain the most possible from the Indian delegation,” said Ledogar, with the apparent hope of making New Delhi flexibilise its position.

Other sources in US government have recognised Washington is exerting diplomatic pressure on New Delhi so that it will lift its blockade on the draft treaty.

“The frustration level in the White House is still growing,” said Ledogar. “We supposed we would have this treaty in New York this Friday.”

Most of the Conference member states had planned for the treaty to go to the UN General Assembly at least a month before its 51st session.

The Democrat government in the United States had great hopes pinned on the UN Assembly resolving to get the treaty signed before the November elections, when Bill Clinton will be hoping for reelection.

However, the chances of the document getting through before the meeting on Sept. 17 now depend on the final negotiations between the Disarmament Conference member nations this weekend.

“If we don’t save the treaty, the whole Disarmament Conference will go down the pan,” said Ledogar.

If the treaty is presented at the UN Assembly without the participation of the Disarmament Conference, is is unimaginable “that other important issues will arrive for negotiation in this forum,” he said.

Joseph Goldblat, UN consultant and academic from the University Institute of Higher International Studies in Geneva, said Friday that “the failure of the Disarmament Conference has shown this forum, which emerged from the Cold War, is totally inadequate.”