Federal Government Commissioner for Disarmament and Arms Control

Implementing the goals of the coalition agreement

In line with the coalition agreement, the German Government actively supports the proposals presented by President Obama for far-reaching new disarmament initiatives. The Government will work for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from German soil both within NATO and together with the American allies. It has set itself the goal of maintaining the Treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE) and ratifying the Adapted CFE Treaty.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) provides the framework

The Directorate-General for Disarmament and Arms Control works closely with EU member states, Alliance partners and other partner countries worldwide. Within the CFSP framework, central importance is accorded to the EU strategy to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (adopted on 12 December 2003). The EU strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition (adopted on 16 December 2005) is a prime example of efforts to tackle new increasingly urgent problems in the EU. The EU strategies focus on cooperation on the basis of legally binding and verifiable agreements. Other coordination bodies and cooperation options are used within NATO and the OSCE.

Intensive contact with the United Nations (UN)

The United Nations provides the framework for a global coalition to tackle the security challenges of the 21st century. The Federal Government Commissioner for Disarmament and Arms Control therefore works closely with representatives of the UN member states and the UN with its subsidiary organizations and specialized agencies to strengthen and further develop the existing multilateral instruments for disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. Central to this are the permanent UN bodies for negotiations on disarmament and arms control such as the General Assembly First Committee and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is growing in importance particularly given its key role in monitoring civilian nuclear plants in the member states through its safeguards agreements.

Coordinating the implementation of international agreements

Alongside the analysis and development of new fields in disarmament and non-proliferation policy, the Commissioner is also very active in the relevant decision-making bodies for the implementation, further development and strengthening of current international agreements and coordination mechanisms: the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (with its crucial Review Conference in 2010), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the Ottawa Convention (prohibition of anti-personnel mines), the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the CFE Treaty and others. In spheres where instruments and mechanisms for multilateral disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation are still lacking, the Commissioner endeavours to drive the discussion and negotiation of new international agreements.

The most recent example is the Convention on Cluster Munitions (signed in Oslo in December 2008) which Germany, one of the first countries to sign, ratified in July 2009. The German Government led the field internationally by immediately and unilaterally foregoing this category of munitions.

Commitment when international agreements are violated

When international agreements on non-proliferation are violated, for example in the case of Iran, the Commissioner works with great dedication and in close cooperation with our partners to ensure international norms are respected. Together with the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain (E3+3), Germany is working to ensure that the Iranian nuclear programme serves exclusively peaceful ends. The E3+3 have on several occasions made offers as a basis for negotiations but Iran has yet failed to take them up.

Support for regional organizations

The Commissioner also supports endeavours to strengthen regional security through regional organizations. He works actively for example in the OSCE on the implementation of the CFE Treaty, the Treaty on Open Skies and the Vienna Document. In south-eastern Europe, the Commissioner supports the increased cooperation of the states in the region and encourages them in their attempts to draw closer to European and transatlantic structures. Steps towards cooperative security and confidence-building have been carried out here.

Disarmament and non-proliferation projects

Within the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction launched in 2002 at the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, the Commissioner coordinates action by Germany in particular to prevent nuclear materials getting into the wrong hands and to destroy chemical weapons.

Summary of activities

The Annual Disarmament Report provides the best summary of the activities of the Federal Government Commissioner for Disarmament and Arms Control. The Annual Disarmament Report for 2009 will be available in early 2010.

• Disarmament and Arms Control