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Remarks by Ambassador Sujata Mehta, Permanent Representative of India to the CD Debate on "Revitalization of the CD" – CD Plenary, August 21, 2012

Mr. President,

In the view of my delegation, it is useful to remember that since multilateralism took its current form, the international community has always found it expedient and useful to have a standing disarmament negotiating forum of limited size, distinct from deliberative bodies of universal membership, and with the appropriate rules of procedure.

While designating the CD as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, the Final Document of the SSOD-I specified that the CD will take its decisions on the basis of consensus. This ensures that every member state's vital and legitimate security interests can be protected and that negotiated outcomes have the legitimacy required for global disarmament instruments. Diluting the rule of consensus would adversely impact confidence in this body and its effective functioning.

The CD Rules of Procedure provide mechanisms for plenary meetings, informal meetings, and additional arrangements agreed by the Conference. Subsidiary bodies such as ad hoc subcommittees, working groups, and technical groups can also be established. Thus, the Rules themselves do not stand in the way of creative use of mechanisms when members expect a productive outcome.

The CD’s agenda reflects longstanding objectives of the international community on disarmament, many of which remain unfulfilled. The CD has successfully negotiated treaties on Biological and Chemical Weapons. A similar approach is needed for nuclear weapons, whose global elimination remains the highest priority for negotiations in the CD.

The issue is not the structure or content of the programme of work, but the absence of common understandings on fundamentals. Dialogue among UN member states must intensify to rebuild consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation, particularly among nuclear-weapon states to build trust and reduce the salience of nuclear weapons in international affairs.

Revitalization of the CD cannot be seen in isolation from broader international security architecture and UN reform. Ad hoc changes will not be effective. The Non-Aligned Movement has emphasized convening another Special Session of the General Assembly dedicated to disarmament as an authoritative way to revisit the agenda and machinery established by SSOD-I.

To conclude, the CD is not an organization with programmes and project delivery mechanisms. It is a forum with valuable expertise and unrivalled credibility, ready to be used when its members so decide. It continues to have the mandate, membership, credibility, and rules of procedure to discharge this responsibility. We hope today’s debate reaffirms the CD’s critical role as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum and builds momentum for resumption of substantive work, including negotiations, as was poised in May 2009 on the basis of CD/1864.

Thank you.