Asean toughens up advocacy for nuclear disarmament

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation will top the agenda of the 40th Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Manila, which is scheduled to officially open on Sunday evening.

Romulo stressed that global weapons must be eliminated to ensure regional and global security.

"The emergence of possible non-state actors that might be eager to the threat or use of nuclear weapons highlights the seriousness of the problem," he said as preparatory meetings for the AMM ended on Saturday.

"We must attend to a crucial aspect of Asean's role as a pillar of peace and security in our region," he added. "We must secure the Asean community by continuing our efforts to lead our region towards more effective security dialogue and cooperation." 

During the meetings in Manila, Asean, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, was to review the Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).

The treaty, which was signed in Bangkok in 1995 but only came into force in 1997, does not only aim to work for nuclear disarmament but also to protect the region from pollution posed by radioactive waste and other toxic materials.

Romulo said Asean hopes to convince the five nuclear weapon states - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - to sign the treaty as part of a "plan of action to better enforce" the agreement.

"Part of the Asean's advocacy in the meetings here in Manila is to encourage nuclear weapons states to adhere to the protocol of the SEANWFZ," he said.

The Asean foreign ministers were also expected to discuss the possibility of seeking the assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in implementing the SEANWFZ.

"The IAEA has a set of procedures, safeguards that we want to be available to us and we will make use of it," Romulo said. "We will also seek the support of all countries, particularly the countries with nuclear power." 

Romulo said the IAEA could also help Asean regulate the use of nuclear power for "peaceful purposes" such as energy.

"There are countries in Asia that are resorting to nuclear power for energy, for peaceful purposes and that's okay, but we want to ensure that it remains so," he said.

"We want to ensure that whatever nuclear powers Asean countries have, the countries do not allow the exportation of certain materials which could lead to development of nuclear power other than for peaceful purposes," he added.

The regional bloc would also bring its nuclear disarmament advocacy to the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), which will be held in Manila immediately after the Asean foreign ministers' meeting.

The ARF is the largest security forum in Asia with 27 participants - the 10 Asean countries, the US, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the two Koreas, New Zealand, Russia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and East Timor.

A draft copy of the chairman's statement of the ARF showed support for various international anti-nuclear proliferation initiatives, including the immediate enforcement of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on nuclear weapons.

"The ministers stressed the urgent need for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty," it said. "The ministers called for the maintenance of the existing moratoria on nuclear testing and on the production of fissile material for weapons purposes." 

Romulo, who is the chairman of the ARF, said the body would also reaffirm its support for nuclear-weapons-free zones "established on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among states in the region." 

The ARF would also call for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a key toward "maintaining peace and stability in the Asia and Pacific region." 

"The ministers welcomed the announcement of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea that it shall earnestly implement its commitments to a complete declaration of all nuclear programmes and disablement of all nuclear facilities," the draft statement said.

Romulo expressed confidence that through its unrelenting advocacy for nuclear disarmament and for a nuclear-weapons free world, Asean would succeed in building a peaceful and caring community in Asia.

"Asean and its dialogue partners share a critical stake in promoting regional growth, prosperity and stability," he said. "Our common good depends to a great extent on our capacity to cooperation." 

"For this reason, we must ensure that our network of dialogue partnerships adapts to the latest developments and responds to our current needs," he added.// (Deutsche Presse-Agentur/DPA)