David Miliband

UAE Nuclear

Earlier this month the UAE (United Arab Emirates) banned domestic enrichment of uranium and brought in strict regulations preventing the theft of nuclear material. It is the first country in the world to do this. The Law helps to create confidence within the international community and the UAE's neighbours that its intentions are entirely peaceful. 

The UAE is setting a model for other countries (in the Middle East and beyond) to follow in their legitimate pursuit of peaceful nuclear energy. This model is based on transparency, adoption of international agreements, and co-operation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). The UK supports the rights of all states to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. To this end, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE in 2008 and a further civil nuclear agreement with Jordan earlier this year.

It is worth noting that the actions of the UAE stand in stark contrast to those of Iran, whose dealings with both the IAEA and the international community have often been far less than transparent. I believe that the UAE's example of confidence building is one that states such as Iran would do well to emulate.

Posted at 13:54 14 October 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

Nuclear Issues

Today the Prime Minister and I met nuclear academics and experts to discuss the way forward on nuclear issues.

This is one of the most critical issues we face. Get it right, and we will increase global security, pave the way for a world without nuclear weapons and improve access to affordable, safe and dependable energy – vital to tackle climate change. Get it wrong, and we face the threat of proliferation or the chilling prospect of nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists.

This issue has been around a long time. But there is an unprecedented opportunity to make progress. On 24 September President Obama will chair a UN Security Council Summit on the issue, a milestone on the road to next May’s critical Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

The UK is leading international efforts to make sure we get it right. In July, the Prime Minister set out our approach. Earlier this month the UK hosted an historic conference of the P5 to discuss confidence building measures towards disarmament. It was clear at today’s meeting that experts share our goals. By reinvigorating international commitment and working together, we can strengthen our shared security.

Posted at 14:48 16 September 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[10]

Pelindaba Treaty: Africa joins nuclear free club

Burundi's ratification in July of the Pelindaba Treaty making Africa a nuclear weapon-free zone means the Treaty now comes into force.  The Treaty ensures nuclear weapons are not developed, acquired or stationed in Africa and that nuclear science and technology activities take place under strict non-proliferation measures.  South Africa did develop a nuclear weapons capacity during the apartheid era but signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. 

The next month in the run up to and at the UN General Assembly will be a busy month on nuclear non-proliferation and this is a welcome reminder that all countries around the world have an interest in taking seriously all responsibilities under the nuclear proliferation treaty, including nuclear disarmament and safe production of nuclear power.

Posted at 12:33 31 August 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[4]

Cutting off fissile material

After 12 years in which the Conference on Disarmament has been paralysed over the fissile material cut - off treaty there was a breakthrough last week. The treaty would ban the production of nuclear material for nuclear weapons. Now the negotiations start in earnest. The prominence of North Korea's nuclear and missile tests shows the urgency.

Together with the nuclear test ban treaty - the CTBT - a fissile material cut - off treaty would be one of the key steps on the path to our long term goal of a nuclear weapons free world. Our Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control & Disarmament in Geneva, John Duncan, blogged  and updated his Twitter site on this recently. 

Posted at 18:16 01 June 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

Munich Security Conference

This article from the Atlantic Press Review Blog discusses some interesting comment pieces on NATO at 60. These are issues I'm grappling with at the moment. Tomorrow I make a speech  at the Wehrkunder Security Conference in Munich. Its about how NATO and the EU can deal with both conventional security threats within its borders, and the new global threats from terrorism, climate change and nuclear proliferation.  This is a great opportunity for Europe, NATO, and the world to think clearly and deeply about our common security. I look forward to a fascinating debate with many of the world's leaders in attendance.

Posted at 20:52 05 February 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[6]

ASEM in Beijing: Walking the Silk Road

There is more than a little irony that the 7th Asia Europe meeting (with representatives of half the world's people), focused on the crisis of international finance markets, should be taking place in the Great Hall of the People. The Chinese government have reaffirmed their commitment to stabilise the global market - because China depends on it. China's own economic growth is vital to the rest of us; and our stability and growth is vital to China. But this isn't quite what the Great Hall was originally intended for...

I got my own insight into how China is changing with a pre Conference open session with the Young Communist League. This youth organization boasts 73 million members, and spans culture as well as politics. It's not clear whether the young leaders see economic growth or ideological renewal as the key to the stability of the system and the power of the Communist Party. But the discussion was pretty open.

The recurring theme of western perceptions of China's rise - and media coverage of it - was tempered by willingness to listen and reflect on the virtues of pluralism and the foundations of strong socialism in the protection and promotion of human rights.

The young people drawn from China's universities were a good advertisement for the new China: globally engaged, enquiring, keen to travel, ambitious for themselves, and more than able to hold their own on the economic crisis, climate change, nuclear proliferation and human rights. It's interesting listening to the opening speeches. The focus on the economic crisis could be a spur to franker and more urgent discussion of climate change and human rights, rather than detract from them. The historical record shows that the opposite is possible: countries turning inwards, neglecting common problems. But this is not inevitable.

Posted at 16:20 24 October 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Buyers' Remorse

The European Council will be remembered for the confidence of the European proposals for global financial regulation. We are not going to argue about where credit belongs for their creation: suffice to say they are ideas with which we are more than comfortable.

But the Council has set the scene for a very serious discussion between now and December about how the EU is to meet the ambitious climate change goals that were agreed in March 2007. There is no question that some of those who have doubts about the climate change agenda, or still don't believe in the economics of climate change after Nicholas Stern's report, are getting buyers' remorse about the March 2007 deal. But what is their argument?

Surely not that we can avoid making decisions in December. By then a new US President will be giving indications of how he plans to handle this issue. We cannot end up in a situation where Europe does not have a climate change position and America does. Nor that we should revisit the targets (no one actually suggested this at this Council).

Nor, on the other side, that there does not need to be proper recognition in the final package of the particular situations of different countries or the need for cost effectiveness in the way the climate agenda is pursued.

In the event this was early sparring. But stick to the targets and it doesn't matter that much how they are hit - more energy efficiency, more renewables, more nuclear, they all count towards a low carbon agenda.

Posted at 17:18 16 October 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]

Iran's Next Move

I strongly welcome the decision by the US Administration to send their senior diplomat, Bill Burns, to tomorrow's meeting of the E3+3 (UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and US), led by EU High Representative Javier Solana, with Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who is due to respond to the package of economic, scientific and political cooperation offered to Iran for suspending their nuclear enrichment programme. The message to Iran is simple: get serious about the real needs of your people, which are for a serious response to year on year diminution in their standard of living, and abandon the fiction that the world is pursuing a vendetta against you. America's move demonstrates the determination of the E3+3 to avoid room for any excuses. It is now Iran's next move. There is a clear basis for negotiation. It needs to be taken up.

Posted at 22:07 18 July 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[5]

The Non-Proliferation Treaty: an unsung success story

The Non-Proliferation Treaty is 40 years old today. We should celebrate that. 189 countries are members. That’s everyone except India, Israel and Pakistan.
President Kennedy spoke in 1963 about "the possibility in the 1970s of ... a world in which 15 or 20 or 25 nations may have these weapons" (1).  But in reality, 45 years later, there are fewer than ten. The NPT helped bring this about.  It created a 'grand bargain' where those states with nuclear weapons would work towards a world free from nuclear weapons and those without would have equal access to all the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in return for implementing safeguard and non-proliferation obligations.
We shouldn’t take this for granted. Look at the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran.  We need to make sure the likely expansion of nuclear energy around the world brings prosperity and lower carbon emissions - not insecurity and weapons proliferation.
And we need to strengthen the three pillars of the NPT: zero tolerance of proliferation; a clear forward plan on multilateral nuclear disarmament and supporting the right to the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear energy . We’ll hold a big international conference on nuclear energy later this year to help take this forward. 
 
(1) News conference remarks by President Kennedy on nuclear testing March 21 1963

Posted at 09:38 01 July 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[7]

North Korea: Sanctions Working?

The declaration from the Government of North Korea on its nuclear programme is significant, and the multilateral process led by the US and regional players ("Six Party Talks") deserves enthusiastic support. We can only hope this means that one of the most closed regimes in the world may be concluding that its nuclear programme's not worth the candle. There is a mass of work to be done on the verification of denuclearisation - no one is naive about the regime - but the diplomatic track, however slow, has shown itself powerful. People sometimes say we always reach for sanctions but they never work (South Africa in the 1980, sometimes admitted as an exception); here is one example where the pressure may be telling. Sitting in Japan - where children were abducted by North Korea agents in the 1960's - the slow and tortuous process of engagement looks like a delicate piece of bomb disposal. And today there is hope that it may be working.

Posted at 15:40 27 June 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[2]

Iran: Nuclear Ball in their Court

At the beginning of May I chaired a meeting in London to agree a renewed offer to Iran of economic and scientifitic (including civil nuclear) cooperation if they would suspend uranium enrichment to allay fears of it being used for nuclear weapons. This package has now been delivered in Tehran. You can read it here

I would emphasise the comprehensive nature of the package; the unanimous view of the EU 3 plus the USA, Russia and China in support of the package; the difference it would make to the Iranian people; and the fact that the ball is now in the Iranian court.  The Russian government is delivering nuclear fuel to the Bushehr plant for civil nuclear purposes; we support this; it shows the possibilities of cooperation; but that requires openness and transparency.  This is a good place to start.

Posted at 10:40 16 June 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[1]

Serious concern

The latest report of the IAEA on Iran's nuclear programme  is sharp and clear. The contrast with last August's tone and content is striking. Then there was confidence that three months of the "workplan" would resolve outstanding issues. Now there is a lengthening list of questions and serious concern from the Agency that their questions are not being answered.

The reason for the change is simple. Iran has not responded adequately to questions about its nuclear programme. This is not about a vendetta against Iran or the Iranian people. It is about a concern to curb proliferation. That is why the dual track policy of incentives for cooperation and sanctions for proliferation is so important. 

Posted at 10:40 02 June 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[21]

Iran Nuclear File

The UNSC's repeated call for a halt to Iran's nuclear enrichment programme is separate from the IAEA's investigation of outstanding issues in respect of the programme. But they are coming to a head together.

In New York final talks are underway on a third UN sanctions resolution. At the IAEA the report comprehensively and in detail shows the continued refusal or inability of Iran to answer clear questions about its programme. Here are the key quotes:

"During the meetings mentioned above, the Agency also described parameters and development work related to the Shahab 3 missile, in particular technical aspects of a re-entry vehicle, and made available to Iran for examination a computer image provided by other Member States showing a schematic layout of the contents of the inner cone of a re-entry vehicle. This layout has been assessed by the Agency as quite likely to be able to accommodate a nuclear device."

"On 30 March 2007, the Agency requested Iran to reconsider its decision to suspend the implementation of the modified text of its Subsidiarity Arrangements General Part, Code 3.1. (GOV/2007/22, paras 12-14), but there has been no progress on this issue."

"The one major remaining issue relevant to the nature of Iran's nuclear programme is the alleged studies on the green salt project, high explosives testing and the missile re-entry vehicle. This is a matter of serious concern and critical to an assessment of a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear programme."

"The Agency's overall assessment requires, inter alia, an understanding of the role of the uranium metal document, and clarifications concerning the procurement activities of some military related institutions still not provided by Iran. The agency only received authorization to show some further material to Iran on 15 February 2008.  Iran has not yet responded to the Agency's request of that same date for Iran to view this additional documentation on the alleged studies. In light of the above, the Agency is not yet in a position to determine the full nature of Iran's nuclear programme."

Iran: Further Attacks on Israel

I have always said that Iran is a cultered and educated country with the potential to be a key player in a key region of the world.  Foreign Minister Mottaki has written in the Guardian about his country's commitments to stability.

But recent appalling comments about Israel are a recipe for instability.  On 31 January President Ahmadinejad said "the mighty hands of the Palestinian people will bring about annihilation of the Zionest regime".  The Commander in Chief of the IRCG said: "In the near future we must see the annihilation of the cancerous tumour of the Israeli occupation by the mighty force of the Hezbollah Ummah fighters.   This rhetoric is damaging to the Middle East and damaging to Iran. The people deserve better than their leaders.

Fact Of The Day: Tuesday 27 February

The Pudong section of Shanghai, now home to 8 million people, a city the size of London, has been built and occupied within 15 years.

Posted at 19:24 26 February 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[11]