CCW Opening Statement
Delivered by Stephen Mathias

September 1, 2008

Thank you Mr. Chairman for this opportunity to make a few preliminary comments before we begin this critical round of negotiations.  First, however, I would like to once again thank you for the outstanding job that you and your team are doing in leading these very difficult negotiations. The text you presented at the end of the last round clearly framed the issues we need to address, and we hope that delegations have had the opportunity to study it closely. 

As we said at the end of the session in July, this week will be critical to our goal of completing the negotiations on this Protocol in 2008.  All delegations will need to make difficult compromises for us to be successful here.  If we simply repeat preferred national positions during the negotiations this week, we will not make progress and will be left with insufficient time in November to complete our work.  My delegation, for one, has come prepared to offer compromise solutions on a number of issues with the hope of advancing our work.

We welcome and strongly support your intention to focus the work this week on Article 4 and related issues. 

The United States remains committed to making every effort to reach agreement within the CCW framework on a meaningful cluster munitions instrument that will have real and significant humanitarian benefits and will attract the support of a wide range of countries, including those that possess the most significant stockpiles of cluster munitions.  Denigrating in advance what might be achieved here, or insisting on provisions even after it becomes clear that they cannot form the basis of an approach acceptable to all States parties, will be counterproductive to these negotiations. Four our part, we intend to focus on the CCW’s purpose and in particular the humanitarian goals that we all share.

Thank you.