Non-Proliferation Diplomacy: Preparing for 1995

1 See George Bunn, Charles N. van Doren and David Fischer: Options and Opportunities: the NPT Extension Conference of 1995, no. 2 in the Study Series of the Programme for Promoting Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Mountbatten Centre for International Studies, University of Southampton, 1991, pp. 10-11.

2 See George Bunn, Charles N. van Doren and David Fischer: Options and Opportunities: the NPT Extension Conference of 1995.

3 For some comments on the preparations for the NPT Review Conference of 1985, and on its work, see Ben Sanders, `The Third NPT Review Conference', in DISARMAMENT: A periodic review by the United Nations, vol. VIII, no. 3, Winter 1985.

4 Article VIII, paragraphs 1-3, of the Treaty describes the amendment process, which involves a series of steps to be taken before even the special conference required for the purpose could be convened. The complications make the practical likelihood of the Treaty ever being amended virtually nil. In any case, the 1995 conference cannot serve that purpose.

5 See the Final Documents of the respective NPT Review Conferences and The United Nations and Disarmament, 1970-1975 (New York: United Nations) and the United Nations Disarmament Yearbooks (New York: United Nations), vol. 5: 1980, vol. 10: 1985 and vol. 15: 1990.

6 But consensus should not be a requirement. A decision to this effect would contradict Article X, would put an unreasonable constraint on the conference, and would give the power to every delegation. It would be all the riskier as some issues on which two review conferences failed, are still with us. However, it is quite another thing to try until the very last moment to achieve consensus, but to be ready to sacrifice it if necessary.

7 It is hard to imagine by what other means countries might be persuaded to attend the conference, short of such unsubtle ways as offers of financial assistance to poor countries, for travel and subsistence.

8 In this regard, the Russian Federation has assumed the powers of its predecessor, the USSR.