Nuclear disarmament a tougher task than global financial crisis

Multilateralism has its limitations

September 25, 2009 Disarmament poses a stern test for international forums

Kevin Rudd .. on Wednesday in New York when spoke of global institutions that are “increasingly dysfunctional (in) nature, that are either out of their depth, insufficiently empowered, or reduced to a negotiating stalemate by the politics of the lowest common denominator.

In asserting Australia’s presence on the international stage, Mr Rudd addressed the weakness of another multilateral body, the 189-member Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As he said, the treaty played a crucial role limiting the spread of nuclear weapons in the past, but it is now under challenge.

As he also said, much will depend on the ability of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference next May. In an effort to reinvigorate global consensus and chart a practical way forward, Mr Rudd, in conjunction with Japan, established the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament last year, chaired by former foreign minister Gareth Evans.

However well-intentioned, nobody should be too starry-eyed about the potential of multilateralism to deal with the most potent threats to world peace. These are the nuclear weapons and brazen posturing of North Korea, which abandoned the NPT in 2003, the prospect of Iran’s unstable regime acquiring nuclear capability and the danger of Pakistan’s arsenal falling into the hands of the Taliban.

Multilateral forums, by their nature, tend to become mired in argument and achieve little. In defending their nuclear programs, rogue states point to the arsenals of nations such as the US and Britain. Such moral equivalence, however, pays no heed to the real threats confronting the world. Frankly, Britain’s decision to build three Trident nuclear submarines instead of four is more about symbolism, and will not make one iota of difference to world security.

What is needed is not more multilateral discussion but multilateral resolve. Through a mix of carrot and stick, nations such as Iran and North Korea need to be pressured into abandoning their programs. Incentives need to be reinforced by iron-clad sanctions, by all nations including Russia, China and European states, on the raw materials and technology that have allowed them to further their ambitions. Mr Rudd’s drive to make multilateralism more effective is commendable. Nuclear disarmament poses a much sterner test of the process, however, than the global financial crisis…http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26120842-16741,00.html

September 25, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1 | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons