Efforts to convene, by the end of 2012, a conference on the proposed Middle East Zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction continue apace. On 15 August, the office of the conference’s facilitator - Finnish Under-Secretary of State Jaakko Laajava – released a statement updating the international community on progress to date:
After the facilitator’s report to the NPT Preparatory Committee in Vienna on 8 May 2012, consultations have continued and intensified. States of the region have been invited to present concrete proposals regarding both the conference, its outcome and possible follow-on steps. The facilitator has also continued to engage with representatives of the civil society and academia.
The consultations have shown that the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction is a goal shared by all States of the region. In order to achieve this goal, their active support and cooperation is necessary. To this end, ensuring a successful conference is of special interest to the States of the region but it is also in the common interest of the international community.
The facilitator and the conveners of the conference, namely the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States and United Nations Secretary-General, remain committed to doing their utmost to ensure that a successful conference will be arranged in 2012. As regards the timing of the conference, Finland as the host Government has announced that it is prepared to host the conference anytime during 2012. December has frequently been mentioned in the consultations as a possibility.
Click here to watch Jaakko Laajava in interview with James Kearney, UNA-UK Peace and Security Programmes Manager, during his visit to the UK to address the UN APPG this summer.
