Missile Technology Control Regime
The Chairman of the MTCR, Ambassador Piet de Klerk, addressed the Plenary meeting of the Hague Code of Conduct in Vienna on June 2. While the HCoC is a set of confidence building measures and the MTCR is an export control regime, the MTCR Chair underlined that both bodies are closely related, complementary and might benefit from each other’s activities.
Ambassador De Klerk stressed that the MTCR Guidelines and Technical Annex, most recently revised on March 17, 2016 (available on www.mtcr.info), represent best practices for export control of means of delivery for weapons of mass destruction. As such they are increasingly adhered to by non-members and are mentioned as reference in some Security Council resolutions. The MTCR Chair invited all HCoC Subscribing States to become MTCR adherents by accepting the Guidelines and implement the Annex – including future changes – in their regulations.
In his address the MTCR Chair went into the challenges that lie ahead for the MTCR and how the work of HCoC benefits the MTCR. Finally he made some suggestions à titre personnel for possible forms of cooperation that would have to be considered further in the light of any reactions from HCoC Subscribing States.