June 21, 2013

Conference On Disarmament Unable To Reach Consensus On Draft Programme Of Work (Press Release)

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Iran's month-long stint as President of the UN Disarmament Conference has come to an end with - surprise - total failure to make any progress on nuclear disarmament. In fact, the Conference could not even decide on its "programme of work." The inability to decide on what to talk about didn't prevent Iran's outgoing president from declaring "Iran attached great importance to the credibility of the Conference" and Russia from opining "the President was acting wisely." Pakistan said Iranian ideas made during the fiasco of a presidency "would enable the Conference to start substantive work even without starting negotiations" - new UN-eze for how do-nothing miraculously becomes doing something. But that's not all. Iran's stint as chief of the UN Disarmament Conference legitimized the world's number one threat to nuclear proliferation. Under UN guidance, the subject of a disarmament pow-wow was not the acquisition of the world's most lethal weapon by the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, but the diplomatic skills of that very regime. The UN press release on Iran's last day highlights "Several speakers praised the Iranian Presidency for all efforts to find consensus...Russia expressed its appreciation to the Iranian President...Syria thanked Iran for its efforts and transparent consultations...Pakistan expressed its deep appreciation and admiration for the Iranian President...Algeria expressed its appreciation to the President for his tireless efforts through his presidency...Cuba was grateful for the work that the President had done...and the way in which he had guided the Conference..." And then there was ignominious Germany - whose diplomat felt it appropriate to declare: "Germany thanked the President for his work and efforts in trying to get the Conference back to work...Germany expressed its appreciation for the President as he had held extensive debates...He believed that the President acted in the best interest of the Conference." The best interests of the Disarmament Conference would have been never to have had an Iranian President in the first place.