It was not until nine o’clock on Friday night that Ambassador Do Hung Viet, president of the conference, and Izumi Nakamitsu, UN disarmament chief, finally began speaking at a press conference to give their opinion on the latest failure of member states to agree on measures to modernize the NPT, which, while considered the cornerstone of international nuclear disarmament efforts, is more than fifty years old.
Clearly tired and hungry (he had managed to grab a croissant for lunch several hours earlier) after his ultimately unsuccessful attempts to approve the fourth draft of the final document, Ambassador Viet nonetheless gave lengthy responses to journalists who stayed late to hear from him and Ms. Nakamitsu.
Ambassador Viet praised the “sincere and meaningful commitment” of the conference delegates, but admitted disappointment at their inability to find consensus and seize the opportunity to make the world a safer place.
16 years without consensus
Sixteen years have passed since the commitments made in the adoption of the 1970 Treaty were reaffirmed or reinforced at a Review Conference, and the next one will not take place until 2031.
Meanwhile, concerns about a nuclear arms race continue to grow, as arsenals are modernized and the total number of weapons increases. “The current international environment, marked by deep tensions and a high risk posed by nuclear weapons, requires very urgent measures,” warned Ambassador Viet.
“A substantial outcome would have strengthened the Treaty and advanced its objectives,” he said, “but in the absence of such an outcome, I am concerned about the future health of the Treaty.”
Ms. Nakamitsu said that States parties to the Treaty must take the three consecutive failures very seriously if they want to preserve the regime.
“Non-proliferation and disarmament are two sides of the same coin,” he said in an appeal to nuclear weapon states. “It is simply incorrect for them to assume that non-proliferation obligations will be met without their own commitment to and implementation of disarmament obligations.”
The UN chief regrets that the conference “fell short”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed disappointment at the conference’s inability to reach consensus in a statement released Friday.
While welcoming the sincere and meaningful commitment of States parties, he regretted that the conference was insufficient, especially at a time of such pressing challenges that threaten international security.
Guterres called on all States to make full use of all available avenues of dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation to reduce tensions, reduce nuclear risks and ultimately eliminate the nuclear threat.
Read the full coverage of the closing session on the 11thth NPT Review Conference here.