NPT/CONF.2005/PC.1/13

Original: English
First session
New York, 8-19 April 2002

Germany is convinced that accountability is — together with transparency, irreversibility and confidence-building — one of the fundamental principles that constitute an indispensable framework within which to further the implementation of article VI. In our view, accountability promotes nuclear disarmament and strengthens the Treaty as a whole, as outlined during the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT/CONF.2000/MC.I/WP 8).

Germany therefore welcomes the agreement in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on regular reporting by all State parties on the implementation of article VI and paragraph 4 (c) of the 1995 Decision on "Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament" and is convinced that effective reporting of States parties on their contributions to the implementation of article VI and paragraph 4 (c) enhances transparency and confidence in the Treaty as a whole. Pending the desirable establishment of an agreed format for the implementation of this reporting obligation, Germany reports the following:

1. Germany attaches the utmost importance to achieving an early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and therefore calls upon her bilateral contacts together with partners in the European Union for further signatures and ratifications, especially those on the list of 44 States whose ratification is needed for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Germany signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on 24 September 1996, ratified on 20 August 1998, and is actively participating in the International Monitoring System with two seismological monitoring stations (one each in the primary and the auxiliary network), two infrasound monitoring stations and one radionuclide monitoring station as well as with expertise in the field of hydro-acoustics. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources has been given the task of a national data centre.

2. The immediate start and early conclusion of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva are, in our view, the next essential multilateral step towards strengthening nuclear non-proliferation as well as nuclear disarmament. As a practical measure to further discussion on substance, in March 2001, Germany organized a seminar on verification aspects of the fissile material cut-off treaty in Geneva.

3. Germany attaches high importance to the Conference on Disarmament as the sole multilateral negotiation forum for disarmament affairs. Germany, together with other partners, has actively contributed various proposals with respect to overcoming the ongoing stalemate in Geneva, which in our view is no longer tolerable.

4. Germany took note of the Decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems and welcomes the ongoing negotiations between the United States and the Russian Federation on the creation of a new strategic framework as well as on drastic reductions of their strategic arsenals. Germany has been urging both parties that these measures should further promote international stability and that any disarmament measures agreed should be legally binding with provisions ensuring irreversibility and verifiability.

5. Germany welcomes the fact that, for the first time in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons process, the issue of non-strategic nuclear weapons, which is of high importance to European security, was included in a Final Document. During this session of the Preparatory Committee Germany has forwarded further consideration on the issue.

6. Germany welcomes the reduced salience of nuclear weapons and the significant reduction of armed forces, both conventional and nuclear, in Europe since the end of the cold war. Germany recognizes that nuclear disarmament is not an end in itself and cannot be pursued in isolation. Article VI embeds nuclear disarmament in the broader context of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective control. Nuclear disarmament must increase the risk neither of conventional wars nor of the revaluation of other weapons of mass destruction. Germany therefore welcomes the fact that State parties reaffirmed at the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as a practical step towards implementing article VI and paragraph 4 (c) of the 1995 Decision on "Principles and Objective for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament", that the ultimate objective of the efforts of States in the disarmament process is general and complete disarmament under effective international control. Germany is committed to this goal and undertakes focused efforts towards this end.

7. Already on 3 October 1954, Germany had renounced all weapons of mass destruction. Germany became State party to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction on 29 April 1997 and to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BTWC) on 7 April 1983. Germany calls upon bilateral contacts, together with partners in the European Union, for universal adherence to these Conventions. Germany has been actively participating in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and actively supports ongoing efforts to strengthen the verification capabilities of the BTWC.

8. Germany considers disarmament cooperation an essential contribution to ensuring irreversibility of disarmament measures. Germany therefore assists the Russian Federation in the destruction of chemical weapons and provides nuclear disarmament cooperation to Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

9. Germany is committed to the faithful implementation and strengthening of the mutually reinforcing arms control regimes in Europe. We are also undertaking focused efforts through seminars and an intensive arms control dialogue with third countries to foster regional arms control approaches in other regions of the world. We are furthermore strongly committed to the global efforts to establish and strengthen norms pertaining to conventional weapons, small arms and light weapons and anti-personnel landmines.