Activities in preparation for the commencement of negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut off Treaty

The fissile material cut off treaty remains a priority for Australia.

Japan emphasizes the importance and urgency of the commencement of negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut off Treaty.

We would like to reiterate our position today on the establishment of an ad hoc committee on FMCT .

Japan considers that an effective verification system is essential for an FMCT.

Finland calls for the immediate commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut off Treaty (FMCT), without preconditions.

On the FMCT, for example, we have long believed that this accord would take a crucial step on the road to the elimination of nuclear weapons, by turning off the production tap of the material needed to fashion them.

The EU welcomes the action of those of the five nuclear weapon States which have decreed the relevant moratorium

Urge the Conference on Disarmament to agree on a programme of work that includes the commencement, without delay, of negotiations on a fissile material cut off treaty

A fissile material cut off Treaty constitutes the next logical step on the multilateral nuclear non proliferation and disarmament agenda.

Fissile material

Although several nuclear weapon States have declared unilateral moratoria on fissile material for weapons, the production has not ceased worldwide.

Fissile material cut off treaty Conference on Disarmament (Steps 3 and 4) Turning off the tap of fissile material production for nuclear weapons is another pressing priority on which no forward movement has been registered since 2000.

In fact, the FMCT is not only important for non proliferation, but it also serves as a precursor to disarmament.

In the area of fissile material, the question we have to answer is whether a cut off treaty will be verifiable or non verifiable.

He called on those nuclear weapon States that had not yet done so to follow France's example and close down their fissile material production facilities, and on China to follow the example of other nuclear weapon States and declare a moratorium on fissile material production.

(ii) Fissile material storage

Securing fissile materials

We are convinced that the start of negotiations on an FMCT will be a significant step towards nuclear disarmament and non proliferation.

Let me briefly reiterate Japan's position on one of the outstanding issues in the FMCT mandate, that of verification.

In this regard, let me take this opportunity to present our preliminary views on the substantive aspects of the FMCT.

The Conference calls upon all nuclear weapon States and the non States parties to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to declare moratoriums on the production of fissile material for any nuclear weapons pending the entry into force of the Fissile Material Cut off Treaty.

I would also urge the commencement of negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament on a treaty to ban the production of material for nuclear weapons the so called fissile material cut off treaty.

By the same token, the treaty should not be called a fissile material cut off treaty (FMCT), implying a halt only in future production.

Like for several other delegations that spoke before me, the FMCT is for Italy also the first priority at the Conference on Disarmament.

The purpose of this exercise is to better prepare delegations in Geneva for the actual negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a fissile material cut off treaty.

Over the past years the Netherlands has been working consistently, in an informal process, in order to keep the FMCT alive in Geneva.

(i) Fissile material receipt and internal movements

Fissile Material Cut off Treaty

Important disarmament milestones such as the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the conclusion of the fissile material cut off treaty negotiations have not been reached.

A fissile material cut off treaty banning future production of fissile materials for weapons purposes would have a positive effect on non proliferation and disarmament efforts.

Canada has stated its willingness to be flexible on the precise mandate for negotiating a fissile material cut off treaty as part of a compromise package on a programme of work for the Conference.

Through an FMCT we would cut off the production of the most dangerous nuclear fissile materials those destined to nuclear explosions.

In addition, every effort must be made to surmount the protracted political impasse at the Conference on Disarmament and to begin negotiations on the fissile material cut off treaty.

From this perspective, the FMCT, prohibiting the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, is extremely important, not only for nuclear disarmament, but also for nuclear non proliferation.

The CTBT must be brought into force without delay and negotiations must begin, without pre conditions or linkages, for a fissile material cut off treaty.

FMCT surpasses the debate on whether current security threats lead us to primarily focus on non proliferation or on disarmament.

As the two major tasks in nuclear disarmament process, CTBT seeks to restrict the qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons while FMCT caps their quantitative development.

Pending entry into force of the said treaty, the EU calls on all States to declare and uphold a moratorium on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Likewise, Cuba is in favour of beginning negotiations within the Conference on Disarmament on a non discriminatory, multilateral and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

The same applies to the persistent delay in the initiation of negotiations on a verifiable Fissile Material (Cut off) Treaty and the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The Conference on Disarmament should conclude negotiations on the fissile material cut off treaty as soon as possible, and the proposal to establish an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament was a very welcome one.

In the meantime, we urge all States, regardless of their status, to impose a moratorium on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Step 3 Negotiations on a fissile material cut off treaty

More appropriately, it should be referred to as a fissile material treaty (FMT).