| Opening
Remarks
It gives me great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all of you to this Workshop on “The 2005 Review Conference: Understanding the Challenges and Devising Responses”. I am really thankful for your present and participation despite your other preoccupations. Let me also take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Center for Non-Proliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, and especially to Dr. Bill Potter and Mr. Jean DuPreez, for their willingness to hold this Workshop here in our Mission. I believe that forums such as these provide a useful mechanism for an informal exchange of views as well as shared perspectives and insights. I am aware from the Agenda that you will deliberate on a number of pertinent issues relating to non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. State Parties agreed that in order to realize these objectives, a strengthened review process is essential. A logical corollary would be the pursuit of effort to achieve the agreements of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference and the 2000 Review Conference. Based on these decisions, we will be called upon to undertake a thorough review of the operation of the Treaty in 2005. It is gratifying to note that an overwhelming majority of states have fully complied with their commitments and refrained from exercising their nuclear option. This has contributed substantively to the maintenance and strengthening of the NPT. However, the concern that the Treaty has perpetuated discrimination between the nuclear-haves and have-nots has persisted. This entails concerted measures to implement all the provisions of the Treaty in a balanced manner. There is a general feeling that with regard to nuclear disarmament, this commitment has fallen short of expectations. For this reason, it has long been the focus of attention of the Treaty’s review process. There is also increasing concern at the qualitative enhancement of nuclear weapons, the trend towards indefinite possession of nuclear weapons and the possibility of their use. Hence, there is an urgent need to promote our common quest for the total elimination of these weapons in tandum with our efforts for non-proliferation. Another important issue that is relevant to nuclear disarmament relate to security assurances to non-nuclear weapon states. The 1995 Principles and Objectives made some progress on this issue by recognizing the need for “further steps” in this regard and that “such steps could take the form of an internationally legally binding instrument”. Many states and groups of states have been actively involved in seeking a common formula that would command a consensus and let us hope that these endeavors will be productive in 2005. Non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy are mutually supportive of each other. In this regard, the lack of sufficient financial resources for civilian application of nuclear technology and the persistence of imbalance between safeguards and promotional activities has often been cited as inter-related problems. It would, therefore, seem important to include programs vital for developing countries in IAEA’s technical cooperation activities. These are some of the issues that have become integral to the international disarmament agenda due to the dynamics of the NPT review process which will culminate in a full review in 2005. It is my hope that it would be possible to narrow the differences that exist among us and thereby ensure the success of our endeavors in 2005. Distinguished Participants, Indonesia has all along actively supported
and participated in the endeavors to further enhance the role of the NPT.
We will continue to work with other state parties and make our contributions
to place the non-proliferation regime on a more secure basis. All nations
have a stake I believe that the 2005 Review Conference offers unprecedented opportunities in effectively dealing with a myriad of issues. But there is an urgent need to reassess our thinking and approaches to the challenges posed to the integrity of the non-proliferation regime. In this regard, fresh and innovative proposals are needed to lend a decisive impetus to the fulfillment of our mutual obligations and responsibilities and to chart a new course for the non-proliferation regime. I remain convinced that the results of our deliberations will contribute substantively to our comprehension of the issues involved. Thank you for your attention. |