17 November 2009 - NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY IDENTIFIES CONCRETE MEASURES TO CLOSE LOOPHOLES OF GLOBAL NUCLEAR NON PROLIFERATION REGIME

In the report, he suggests the universalisation of the Additional Protocol (which provides for intrusive IAEA inspections), internationalization of dual-use nuclear technologies, and the introduction of measures to penalize withdrawal from the non-proliferation regime.  Also, the International Atomic Energy Agency would benefit from additional resources. The report also emphasized the need to strengthen conventions dealing with the potential threat of biological and chemical weapons. 

“There are a number of system influences that hinder progress on non-proliferation issues” said Mr Mates, speaking at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s 55^th session in Edinburgh, Scotland.   He also acknowledged the appeal of “the prestige attached to nuclear weapons” to developing countries. 

Iran  ’s “history of concealment and non-compliance” is an ongoing source of concern according to Mates.  The proposal by France and Russia to exchange Iranian enriched uranium for processed fuel rods “seems to be paralyzed” by disagreement over some of the terms, he said.  He emphasized the need for direct dialogue with Tehran while refusing to legitimize its uranium enrichment programme.

Mates also said he was “concerned about the reactivation by North Korea of their nuclear facility at Yongbyon in April 2009” and by Korean launches of potential delivery devices.  Concerning Pakistan, he said that the proximity of the Pakistani nuclear stockpile to the unstable tribal areas raises concern, and while Pakistan has established a robust set of measures to safeguard its nuclear facilities, vulnerabilities still exist.

A lively debate followed Mates’s presentation of the report, reflecting many of the participants’ national positions.  The Norwegian delegation were particularly concerned about the environmental consequence of the decommission programme, the safe storage of any nuclear waste generated, and the possible effects of maritime radiation pollution.  The French parliamentarians expressed reservations about the feasibility of a vision of a “nuclear weapon-free world” in the context of existing international realities, but emphasized that France remains strongly committed to its obligations under NPT Article VI regarding gradual reductions of nuclear weapons arsenals.  Several other NATO parliamentarians, however, leant their support to the long-term aim of complete nuclear disarmament.