DYB2011-Part-II-web

Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
participating Governments79 took stock of developments since the last meeting
in 2010, expressing their sorrow at the devastation caused by earthquakes in
New Zealand and Japan. The Group noted the need to address proliferation
concerns without hampering legitimate trade, reaffirmed the importance of
licensing and enforcement based on NSG guidelines and control lists, and
reiterated its support for diplomatic efforts and peaceful solutions to the
nuclear issues related to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea.
The primary outcome of the meeting was agreement on new guidelines
pertaining to the transfer of sensitive enrichment and reprocessing
technologies. Whereas the previous guidelines required the Group only to
“exercise restraint” in exporting enrichment and reprocessing technology,
the new guidelines reportedly also include a list of “objective criteria” for
States to be eligible to receive such transfers. Under these criteria, a recipient
must have brought into force a comprehensive safeguards agreement together
with an additional protocol or, pending such a step, the implementation of
appropriate safeguards agreements in cooperation with the Agency, including
a regional accounting and control arrangement for nuclear materials, as
approved by the IAEA Board of Governors.
At issue during the negotiation was the effect of the new rules of the
NSG waiver to India, granted in 2008. The new guidelines seemingly would
have no implications for future nuclear cooperation between NSG members
and India, as both the old and new guidelines would effectively preclude the
transfer of sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technologies to India.
In addition to reaching agreement on the revised guidelines, the NSG
also exchanged views on various topical matters. NSG members emphasized
the importance of keeping the Group’s lists up to date with technological
developments. The Group continued to discuss its relationship with India. It
also discussed brokering and transit issues and agreed to consider options for
how to best reflect these matters in its guidelines. The Group also reviewed
the status of adherence to the Additional Protocol.
79 As of 31 December 2011, the NSG had 46 participating Governments: Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian
Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States. The European Commission is a permanent
observer.
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