We believe the review conference can succeed only through a balanced approach.

The Council is currently working on a common position that will make a positive contribution to the review conference.

The international context seems to offer new opportunities on the eve of this review conference.

In view of this, it is good that the review conference will take place in Africa.

Those who have not signed cannot take part in the five-year review conferences, except as observers.

The treaty calls for a review conference in three years to take unspecified steps to bring it into universal force.

State parties should be encouraged to address these weaknesses at the forthcoming review conference later this month.

So the treaty will certainly come under sharp criticism at the review conference that starts today in Geneva.

States parties should be encouraged to work towards this aim with a view to the upcoming review conference.

Agreement on the protocol at the Review Conference, however, seems unlikely.