Farewell Statement by Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao of India CD Plenary, 1 September 2011
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Mr. President, allow me to congratulate you on assuming the responsibility of President of the Conference on Disarmament. It is a great pleasure to see a representative of Cuba chair our proceedings. Allow me also to welcome Ambassador Abdul Minty of South Africa to our midst. I have the privilege of knowing him for several years. I am confident that his vast experience and widely-acknowledged political sagacity would be valuable to our work.

Mr. President, as I prepare to leave Geneva for my next assignment, I ask your indulgence to share some points of personal reflection. I want to begin, however, by thanking all colleagues present here for their friendship, good cheer and sage counsel. I have been privileged to work amidst such outstanding diplomats and I will cherish the time we have spent together.

Mr. President, multilateral work in disarmament has always been something of an elite occupation. I have never liked the idea of a disarmament aristocracy but I do believe that states need to cultivate disarmament expertise not only to be able to defend their own interests but also to be able to contribute to the larger cause of international peace and security. Aside from expertise, we also need forums where we can pursue collective action through dialogue and cooperation. As such this house has been built over time with patience and foresight. It embodies the idea that disarmament work is important enough to merit a standing, negotiating forum. It represents the aspiration that disarmament treaties should have the legitimacy and force that collective action provides. What we forge here on the basis of agreed priorities and programmes, through dialogue and negotiation based on mutual respect, are treaties; treaties that can stand the test of time, that can be universally accepted.

The downside of such lofty ambition, Mr. President, is frustration. Frustration that universally acceptable treaties take a long time to forge. Frustration that one's own priorities are not shared by others. Frustration that political will to negotiate seems to flounder for long periods of time. I too must admit a degree of frustration. First, on account of the fact that despite fundamental changes in the international security environment and some welcome changes in political positions of states possessing nuclear weapons, we are nowhere close to beginning negotiations in the CD on global nuclear disarmament within a time bound framework. To my mind, the Conference cannot evade for long its primary mandate from SSOD-I to address the issue of nuclear disarmament in a comprehensive and non-discriminatory manner. To put off nuclear disarmament indefinitely or seek to park it in bits and pieces in different forums is not tenable, not for long.

Second, I must admit to a degree of personal disappointment if not frustration that we have frittered the opportunity offered by the adoption of a programme of work in May 2009 to begin substantive work, including negotiations. Instead we have poured considerable time and energy into discussions of procedural and institutional reform. The CD has been called all kinds of names. An innocent bystander has been set upon and berated for an imaginary crime!

In my first speech in this capacity on 28 February 2008, I had recalled that this chamber has been compared to a hall lined with mirrors. Mirrors that often distort rather than reflect the reality of interests that we need to balance while pursuing our mandate. It remains my hope that we would be able to let the walls of this room reflect truly the reality of our collective interest. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this forum or its rules. As a body that brings together all the militarily significant states to negotiate as equal members, it continues to be relevant today and into the future. If we talk it down, we do so at our own peril. It is our responsibility to make this forum work. It is our responsibility to help decision-makers back home appreciate the significance of our collective interest.

A long time ago, a great Indian warrior hesitated on the verge of an epic battle. He was fortunate to hear counsel that is timeless. The essential message that he heard was that inactivity is not an option. There is no alternative to action but action has to be based in understanding and not in fear or desire.

Mr. President, my association with the CD began in 1990. I sat over there as a young and enthusiastic young disarmament fellow. CD was then negotiating CWC - a treaty whose importance and contribution in the field of disarmament is acknowledged by one and all. In the nearly twelve years that I have handled CD matters here in Geneva and at headquarters, I have come to realize the importance of reconciling differing perspectives and reaching common understandings. In the field of disarmament and international security, the CD provides a unique forum where these understandings can be reached and effective action pursued on issues that impact global peace and security.

I leave Geneva with the hope that you will get off to a good start in the Conference next year.

Mr. President, I want to conclude by thanking the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General, other members of the Secretariat staff and the interpreters for the support they have provided. I salute their professionalism and dedication and wish them the very best. I also want to thank the distinguished members of civil society who have so enriched our discussions in informal settings inside and outside this chamber.

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