Madam President,
It was my hope and expectation that my first intervention in the CD in my capacity as Presidency of the European Union would be to mark the beginning of the implementation of the Programme of Work that we unanimously adopted on 29 May.
It is therefore with deep regret that I today take the floor on behalf of the European Union to express our profound disappointment over the latest developments, or rather lack of developments, in the CD.
The Programme of Work in CD/1864 was an important breakthrough after more than a decade of stalemate in the CD. World leaders welcomed the results of our efforts, based on the assumption that the CD would begin implementing the agreed programme of work without any further delay. The CD was returning to serious work and negotiations based on promoting and protecting national security interests. The period of procedural manoeuvres to prevent progress on substance was over. So we all thought.
But since 29 May, the CD has again been bogged down in endless consultations over mainly practical and procedural issues related to the implementation of the Programme of Work. Despite the enormous efforts by the P6, not least by you Madame President and your immediate predecessor Ambassador Moritán, the implementation of the 2009 Programme of Work has not yet begun. None of the office-holders have been confirmed and no meetings of the subsidiary bodies have been held. We find this hard to understand and even harder to explain to our political leaders.
We have now less then 6 weeks left to show the world that the CD is able to at least start implementing the 2009 Programme of Work. Let me assure you that the European Union and its member states are ready. We have been ready for a long time. Today we are disappointed, but we remain committed to the CD and the Programme of Work we all agreed just a few months ago. We expect a similar commitment from all CD Member States.
Thank you Madam President.