Concerns over the proliferation and use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East have dominated the discussions on the region for decades. However, new developments on the governance of these weapons in the region have been unfolding.
The Iranian government under President Hassan Rouhani has signaled willingness to resolve regional and international concerns regarding its highly controversial nuclear program through enhanced diplomatic relations with the United States, and negotiations are underway. The Syrian government’s signing of the Chemical Weapons Convention on Oct. 14, to dismantle its chemical weapons arsenal, and the ongoing process of implementing this historic decision through the United Nations have brought new hope that the elimination of WMD from the region is possible. The positive steps taken by Syria have inspired some in Israel to voice their support for the ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention. These events have turned the spotlight on the already four-decades-old call to free the Middle East from all WMD.
The Middle East WMD-Free Zone initiative enjoys continuous support in principle from all regional states, but has yet to materialize. In an attempt to push it forward, the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty called for convening a conference on establishing a zone free of WMD in the region. The conference was scheduled to take place in 2012, but did not convene due to opposing views among regional states about the agenda and outcome as well as the poor timing, given the ongoing turmoil in several regional countries.
The Syrian chemical weapons dismantlement and negotiations with Iran could serve as catalysts for renewed optimism on the viability of the establishment of the WMD-free zone. On the diplomatic front, the designated Finnish facilitator for the Middle East WMD-Free Zone Conference, Undersecretary of State Jaakko Laajava, undertook consultations in Switzerland on Oct. 21, in an attempt to find agreement between regional parties on convening it. The fruitfulness of the consultations — surprisingly attended by all regional parties — indeed constitutes an encouraging step toward the establishment of a WMD-free zone in the Middle East.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
