First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
(Overview and Evaluation)

11 May 2012
Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Japanese

The first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was held from April 30 to May 11 at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna. Mr. Peter Woolcott, Australia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, served as the Chairman. Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Kazuyuki Hamada (head of delegation), H.E. Ambassador Mari Amano, Permanent Representative of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament, and H.E. Ambassador Toshiro Ozawa, Permanent Representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna, represented Japan at the Preparatory Committee.

[Main Points]

• The first session of the Preparatory Committee, which is the starting point in the process leading up to the 2015 Review Conference, concluded successfully, due in large part to the able skills of the Chairman (Ambassador Peter Woolcott).
• The "Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative" (NPDI), a cross-regional group of 10 states launched by Japan, contributed to the discussion by submitting four working papers, including one on transparency in nuclear armaments (with reporting form proposal), and was able to demonstrate a certain presence.
• On North Korea, many countries, including Japan, made statements, expressing concerns over the nuclear issue and denouncing the missile launch. Countries in succession demanded that North Korea denuclearize in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner and refrain from further provocative actions. These demands were subsequently reflected in the Chairman's Summary.
• Ahead of the second session of the Preparatory Committee to be held next year, States Parties showed a high level of interest in developments surrounding the international conference to be held this year on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, as well as in the discussion on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons.

1. Significance of this Preparatory Committee Session

This Preparatory Committee session carried great importance as the starting point of the process toward the 2015 Review Conference. It was also the first NPT-related meeting to see the active involvement of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), the group jointly launched by Japan and nine other countries. Ensuring the smooth start of the new review process, including with regard to procedural matters, holding substantive discussions which contribute to the maintenance and strengthening of the NPT regime, and maintaining and strengthening the international community's confidence in the NPT were all important tasks of this first Preparatory Committee session.

2. Results

(1) At the beginning of the first day of the Committee, the agenda was adopted without objection. A general debate and an NGO session were then held, followed by discussions on substantial issues (nuclear disarmament, security, nuclear non-proliferation, a Middle East WMD-free zone, regional issues including North Korea, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and enhancing the review process). A draft report was adopted on the final day of the committee. The Chairman's Summary, which outlined the content of the discussions held under the Chairman's responsibility, was mentioned in the report as a working paper submitted by the Chairman.

(2) It was decided that the second session of the Preparatory Committee will be held in Geneva from 22 April to 3 May 2013.

3. Japan's activities at the Preparatory Committee

(1) For Japan, Mr. Kazuyuki Hamada, the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, made a statement in the general debate and H.E. Ambassador Mari Amano, Permanent Representative of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament, and H.E. Ambassador Toshiro Ozawa, Permanent Representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna made separate statements on each of the issues discussed (e.g., nuclear disarmament, security, nuclear non-proliferation, a Middle East WMD-free zone, regional issues, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy).

(2) Japan submitted to this Preparatory Committee session four joint working papers together with NPDI member countries (on transparency in nuclear armaments (with reporting form proposal), a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), disarmament and non-proliferation education, and the IAEA Additional Protocol). Additionally, the NPDI representative from Turkey delivered a statement during the general debate, and the Netherlands led a side event showcasing the activities of the NPDI.

(3) Further, in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation education, Mr. Masahito Hirose, a resident of Nagasaki and a designated Special Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons, spoke about his personal experience of the atomic bombing at side events held on the occasion of the Preparatory Committee, using the opportunity as a platform to convey the horrific realities of using nuclear weapons and emphasize the necessity and importance of nuclear disarmament.

(4) The Japanese delegation also tweeted live on Japan's activities at the Preparatory Committee via Twitter (official account of the Global Forum on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education: @global_forum).

4. Evaluation of the Preparatory Committee Session

(1) At the Preparatory Committee, proceedings went smoothly and without complication in both the adoption of the agenda and the discussions on each agenda item. This can be largely attributed to Ambassador Woolcott's meticulous coordination with relevant States Parties prior to the Committee as well as his fair management of proceedings as Chairman during the session itself. Amidst the serious challenges facing the NPT regime, such as the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues, the successful start of the process leading to the 2015 NPT Review Conference was significant for maintaining and strengthening confidence in the NPT and promoting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

(2) On North Korea, many countries, including Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea, expressed concerns over the nuclear issue and denounced the April 13 missile launch, demanding that North Korea denuclearize in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner and refrain from further provocative actions, including nuclear tests. These statements were also reflected in the Chairman's Summary.

(3) Concerning nuclear safety, in the wake of the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, there were calls for the international strengthening of nuclear safety, and the need to steadily implement the IAEA Nuclear Safety Action Plan was identified. Some countries also voiced their expectations for the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety to be held in December this year.

(4) This was the first NPT-related meeting since the establishment of the NPDI, but building on the outcomes of the Director General-level meeting in Turkey held immediately prior to the Preparatory Committee, the NPDI was able to demonstrate a certain presence, submitting four joint working papers, releasing a joint statement on the first day, and holding outreach side events in the first week. The gist of each of the four working papers was reflected in the Chairman's Summary.

(5) Regarding the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, Switzerland made a statement on behalf of 16 counties, attracting the attention of States Parties and NGOs. Norway is scheduled to host an international conference focusing on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons in the spring of 2013, and it is expected that this will be one of the issues that will draw attention in the lead-up to the 2015 NPT Review Conference.

(6) In the discussion concerning a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Jaakko Laajava, Under-Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and facilitator for the international conference on this issue, reported on the status of preparations made up to the present and on the results of his discussions with various countries. He stated that while many countries had referred to the conference as scheduled for December of this year, he was not at present in a position to make any specific announcement. The convening of this international conference is a matter of significant importance in advance of the next Preparatory Committee session. Therefore, when the Japanese delegation stated that, despite being outside of the region, Japan could contribute to the international conference and to the establishment of the Middle East WMD-free zone, there was a positive response from the representatives of other countries. Additionally, the Japanese Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, together with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation and the Finnish Mission, held an interactive seminar with Finnish Under-Secretary of State Mr. Jaakko Laajava and NGOs at the Japanese Mission's offices.

1. Related Information (The First Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference)
2. Related Information (Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation)