US, Russian arms talks could break through disarmament impasse – UN official

New nuclear arms negotiations between the United States and the Russian Federation could break the current impasse in arms control, but only if they fed into multilateral efforts, a top United Nations official said today.

“Bilateral initiatives must support and feed into the multilateral mechanisms to make the process sustainable and lasting,” Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) told a conference on “Overcoming Nuclear Dangers” in Rome.

“The different tracks must be mutually reinforcing,” he added.

Recent statements by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and US President Barack Obama have already helped create a more positive international atmosphere, Mr. Ordzhonikidze said.

As a result, a proposal has been tabled at the Conference on Disarmament which envisages the establishment of a Working Group to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons (FMCT), he noted.

He explained that the proposal differs from previous ones in that it supplements the mandate for negotiation of an FMCT with provisions for “international and effective verification,” a major compromise on the part of the US.

He expressed optimism about the prospects of the proposal, but stressed again that all the members of the Conference on Disarmament must be involved for maximum impact on non-proliferation and disarmament.

“The increasingly favourable international climate represents an opportunity – and an added responsibility – for the Conference, and I hope that our Member States will seize that opportunity,” he said.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has repeatedly appealed to the members of the Conference – the world's only multilateral disarmament negotiating forum – to break their deadlock and move to the negotiations phase on a treaty banning the production of fissile material and other matters.

The Conference has not been able to agree on a programme of work for 10 years. For that reason, Mr. Ban called Russian and US leaders' support for the negotiations “most welcome.”

The meeting on “Overcoming Nuclear Dangers” at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs through tomorrow, 17 April.