NSG: New Zealand to play ‘constructive’ role
New Zealand PM John Key is on his visit to
India. Recently, a meeting was arranged between New Zealand PM and Indian PM to
discuss on India becoming a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. During this
meeting, New Zealand has indicated that it will continue to contribute
constructively in India’s bid.
Significance of this move:
This indicates that New Zealand is yet to
change its hard-line position on only admitting signatories to the
Non-Proliferation Treaty into the NSG, a group which works by consensus.
- Also, this move comes in the run-up to a crucial NSG
Consultative Group (CG) meeting to be held in Vienna specifically to
consider whether countries that haven’t signed on to the NPT can be
considered for membership.
Background:
New Zealand is part of a group called the New Agenda for Coalition which promotes the NPT and pushes for nuclear disarmament
worldwide. Hence, New Zealand has failed to give an outright statement of
support for India’s bid to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
What is New Agenda for Coalition?
The New Agenda Coalition (NAC) is a
geographically dispersed group of middle power countries seeking to build an
international consensus to make progress on nuclear disarmament, as legally
called for in the nuclear NPT. It was formed in 1998.
Composition:
It is composed of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland,
Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa. All current members of the New Agenda
Coalition have joined the Humanitarian Initiative, which was founded in 2013
also in the context of the NPT.
Its significance:
The group was formed in response to the
North-South divide that stymied talks on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
within the framework of the NPT.
- Non-nuclear weapon states believed that not enough progress was being made on disarmament to have warranted the Indefinite Extension of the treaty in 1995, and that the nuclear weapons states were not fulfilling their legal responsibilities towards disarmament, as outlined by Article VI of the NPT.
