Irma Arguello, 20 Apr 2010.

The former Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and co-Chair of the ICNND – International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, visited today Argentina after meeting yesterday Brazilian authorities. After leaving Argentina he will visit Chile, Mexico and Canada. This tour has the purpose to letting know the Commission's ideas, and to contribute to the success of the next May's RevCon, in New York.

"President of a Notables Commission presses Brazil for more nuclear inspections" consigns the title of today's Folha Online. Such title sounds at least excessive in front of Gareth Evans' role as the ICNND's Co-Chair. The ICCND is the Commission formed by top level politicians and experts worldwide, jointly convoked by the Australian and Japanese governments, which delivered last December a report called: "Eliminating Nuclear Threats- A practical agenda for global policymakers."

The Report includes a recommendation in favor of the universalization of the IAEA's Model Additional Protocol as a standard of verification of nuclear facilities and materials, but the scope of the Commission's work has been much wider as it deals with key issues related to nuclear weapons reduction and elimination, nonproliferation, nuclear security, peaceful uses, and others. In addition, the report gives specific recommendations to be taken into account during the next May's NPT RevCon.

Gareth Evans traveled in Brazil yesterday Monday and met his old fellow at the Canberra Commission, the Minister of External Affairs, Celso Amorim, and also the Presidential advisor Marco Aurélio Garcia. 

Folha Online pointed that Evans stated his support to the Brazilian attempt to negotiate an agreement for the Iran's nuclear program and added "we are with fingers crossed for President Lula to achieve it". Concerning the Brazilian posture of not to take stronger nonproliferation commitments unless nuclear armed states give sings of disarmament Evans declared: "We don't want to make the optimum enemy of the good. To say that because we do not get exactly what we wanted about disarmament, we do not agree to strengthen other parts of the system would be very disappointing. the problem is that the Additional Protocol is being seen as a negotiation's success rather than something absolutely necessary itself.”

Brazil and Argentina are the sole non-nuclear weapons state with a high technological development who have not signed the Additional Protocol, which allows more intrusive inspections into declared and non-declared facilities. 

The Australian visitor met Argentine Government officials today in Buenos Aires and also was the speaker during an open academic session organized by the CARI - Argentine Council on International Relations.

Evans let know his rather optimistic message concerning the evolution and results of the NPT RevCon which will take place during next May. In this sense, he pointed out five key issues to be discussed during the Conference: Nuclear Security, a topic with a positive trend after the last week's Presidential Summit in Washington where key points about the elimination of HEU from civil use facilities were agreed; Disarmament, an issue that will require of a strong commitment of nuclear weapons states which could be translated on a strong statement; Nonproliferation whose evolution represents a question mark. Concerning Peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the issue of nuclear fuel and multilateral approaches to manage the cycle will be surely on the table, and finally the difficult issue of a Middle East Nuclear Free is expected to be treated, but with an uncertain evolution.

Concerning the concerns about Iran's nuclear program, Evans stated that many people think that diplomacy is still an open option to solve the conflict. He added that Iran have not decided yet to make a bomb, and many reasons play against such decision, for example the threat of an Israel's attack, and the evident lack of support to the project from China and Russia.

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