COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY IMPERATIVE, FIRST COMMITTEE MEMBERS SAY
Micro-Disarmament, Control of Light Weapons, Addressing Conflict in Context of Economic and Social Issues also Cited
It was imperative that a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty be concluded by 1996, the date to which all the nuclear-weapon Powers had committed themselves, Luvsangiin Erdenechuluun (Mongolia) said this morning, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) began its general debate.
In an opening statement as Committee Chairman, he said the non-nuclear- weapon States had found it hard to believe that five decades of reliance on nuclear weaponry by the nuclear Powers could not but slow down the process towards nuclear disarmament. Nevertheless, the necessary preconditions now existed for the establishment of a comprehensive ban. A moratorium on all nuclear testing would give positive impetus to those efforts, he said.
Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic, the representative of Spain also stressed the importance of concluding a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty by 1996, as well as progress towards conclusion of a treaty banning the production of fissile materials -- "the cut-off treaty".
Citing the conflicts such as those in Central Africa, and the States of the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia, he said that any system of international peace and security must also include regional perspectives. The Union invited all States to adopt responsible policies in the transfer of their nuclear material, equipment and technology. It also invited all States to establish export controls to prevent the transfer of weapons of mass destruction.
Expressing the views of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Under- Secretary General for Political Affairs Marrack Goulding said the problem of conflict must be addressed in the context of social and economic issues. In addition, more attention should be given to controlling the weapons that were being used in internal conflicts.
He drew particular attention to the damage caused by light weapons, which contributed to the destabilization of States and destruction of the very fabric of their societies. That was why the Secretary-General attached so much importance to micro-disarmament -- a set of measures aimed at dealing with specific, pragmatic and achievable goals in the area of conventional weapons.
Also this morning, the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons cited growing concern that the two largest declared possessors of chemical weapons -- the United States and the Russian Federation -- had yet to ratify the Convention banning chemical weapons. Their absence from the list of ratifiers would seriously affect its meaningful implementation and entry into force, he said.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Mexico, Hungary, Ecuador, Bulgaria, Uruguay and Malaysia. The representative of France spoke in exercise of the right of reply.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 17 October, to continue its general debate on disarmament and security matters.
Committee Work Programme
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to begin its general debate on a wide range of disarmament and international security initiatives, including efforts to conclude a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty by 1996, as well as efforts to begin negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons.
It would discuss the final text of a treaty on an African nuclear- weapon-free zone, as well as efforts to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones in the Middle East and South Asia. It will consider the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Also at the center of the Committee's debate are issues concerning the illicit transfer of arms, efforts to ban land-mines, and security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States.
The Committee would also address transparency measures, the ban on biological weapons, the prevention of an arms race on the ocean floor, prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes, the role of science and technology in international security and disarmament, and the reduction of military budgets.
(For background information on the documents and reports before the Committee, see Press Release GA/DIS/3020 of 11 October.)
Statement by Committee Chairman
LUVSANGIIN ERDENECHULUUN (Mongolia), Chairman of the First Committee, said it was more than mere symbolism that the very first resolution adopted by the first session of the General Assembly in 1946 was devoted to disarmament. The United Nations had been instrumental in taking steps towards that objective. Those efforts had included conclusion of the partial nuclear test- ban Treaty of 1963, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) of 1968, the biological weapons Convention of 1972 and the chemical weapons Convention of 1993. The United Nations had also supported the creation of regional nuclear-weapon-free zones.
The end of the cold war had opened up fresh avenues for the adoption of far-reaching measures to eliminate nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, he said. "The really burning question is: can this progress be sustained?" The non-nuclear-weapon States find it hard to believe that five decades of reliance on nuclear weaponry could not but have a retarding effect. Those emotions were felt as a powerful undercurrent at the NPT Review and Extension Conference earlier this year. Despite progress made at the Conference, each nuclear explosion since then had only stirred that undercurrent even more.
The necessary preconditions existed for the establishment of a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty, he said. "It is imperative that 1996, to which all nuclear-weapon Powers have committed themselves, will witness the actual conclusion of the Treaty." Observance of moratoria on all nuclear testing would give positive impetus to those negotiations, while contrary action would seriously undermine the confidence placed in the nuclear-weapon States.
The question of a cut-off in the production of fissionable material for weapons would command closer attention at the Assembly's current session, he said. The conclusion of a treaty on the subject had become even more urgent following reported incidents of alleged international smuggling of fissile materials. Despite some efforts on the systematic reduction of nuclear weapons globally, there was as yet no clear picture of when such reduction of forces would incorporate all five nuclear Powers. The issue of security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States had also moved to the forefront of disarmament dialogue. The question of creation of additional nuclear-weapon- free zones had received further momentum with the final text of a treaty on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone.
He said the Committee was also concerned with the elimination of other weapons of mass destruction. Some 37 countries had already ratified the 1993 Convention banning chemical weapons. It was hoped many more would do so in the near future, to enable the Convention to enter into force at an early date. The Committee had also focused on international arms transfers, with special emphasis on illicit trafficking in arms. Another issue attracting attention was the proliferation of small arms in many countries. Renewed efforts were needed for expansion of the United Nations Register of Conventional Weapons.
It was regrettable that the Convention on Weapons Having Indiscriminate Effects had been unable to reach agreement at its recent session on the urgent question of the indiscriminate use of land-mines, particularly anti-personnel land-mines, he said. It was also distressing that the regional centres for disarmament remained unable to function in the manner intended by the Assembly because of inadequate financial resources. It was hoped that the delegations concerned would give serious consideration to the matter.
He said that many proposals had been presented concerning a new concept of international security, and ways of making the United Nations more effective and relevant to the challenges facing it. The First Committee had the potential to consider those proposals in a spirit of cooperation. He expressed delight that the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Professor Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, which he founded. All Secretaries-General of the United Nations had noted that the aims of the Pugwash Movement were similar to those of the United Nations.
He commended "very highly" the increasing contribution of the non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in recent years to the work of the United Nations. He also drew attention to the presence at the meeting of a group of young diplomats from 30 countries, who are participating in the annual Disarmament Fellowship Programme.
Statement by Under-Secretary-General
MARRACK GOULDING, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said that disarmament could be pursued in isolation from the broader concerns of international security, concerns that were inextricably linked to economic and social issues. Internal conflicts were becoming the norm and inter-State conflicts were becoming comparatively rare.
Those trends had two effects on the Secretary-General's approach to his responsibilities in the field of peace and security, he continued. The issues of conflict must be addressed in the context of the issues of economic and social development and vice versa. More attention should be given to efforts to control the weapons systems which were killing people by the tens of thousands in internal conflicts.
Although the greatest beneficiaries of the improved state of international relations in the post-cold war era were the more developed parts of the world, Mr. Goulding said a glaring exception was the "appalling conflicts" in the former Yugoslavia, which, according to the Secretary- General, were distorting the Organization's efforts in the field of peace and security. The savagery of those conflicts underlined the fact that progress in tackling the problems created by weapons of mass destruction had not been matched by progress in controlling conventional weapons, including light weapons which contributed to the destabilization of States and the destruction of the very fabric of their societies. That was why the Secretary-General attaches so much importance to what he called micro-disarmament.
Mr. Goulding said the Secretary-General continued to attach the highest importance to the nuclear field. The Secretary-General shared the view of those heartened by the 1995 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Recent events had strengthened his view that the nuclear-weapon States' commitment to agree on a comprehensive test-ban treaty, with no exceptions, must be honoured by 1996. Equally important was the cut-off treaty. Those two agreements would open the way to negotiations on further quantitative reductions in nuclear weapons.
The Secretary-General was also following closely the issue of nuclear safety and nuclear smuggling. A very welcome achievement in the nuclear field, Mr. Goulding said, was the conclusion of the final text of the treaty on the African nuclear-weapon-free zone. That long-awaited treaty should enter into force without delay.
By the end of 1996, most of the main issues on the disarmament agenda would have been resolved or be well on their way to resolution. The time might have come, said Mr. Goulding, for Member States and the members of the Conference on Disarmament in particular, to consider what other issues could be added to the agenda.
Regarding other weapons of mass destruction, the Secretary-General had written twice this year to Governments urging them to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and of Their Destruction. The responses had been disappointing; with 25 ratifications, the Convention was well short of the necessary 65 ratifications. He urged prompt ratifications.
While not unpromising, Mr. Goulding said that progress in the field of conventional weapons had been less impressive. Apart from the Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, just concluded in Vienna, there were very few conventional issues currently under active negotiation. The Review Conference produced only partial results. It was especially disappointing that so little progress had been made on anti- personnel land-mines, even amid the rapidly growing conviction worldwide that the suffering of so many innocent civilians was simply not justified by any military value those weapons might have.
Greater attention needed to be given to regional approaches to disarmament, he said, though not at the expense of global issues. It was regrettable that the lack of financial support for the three regional Centres on Disarmament and Development seemed likely to force their closure.
By micro-disarmament, Mr. Goulding said, the Secretary-General meant a set of measures to deal with specific, pragmatic and achievable goals in the area of conventional weapons. For instance, his advisory mission to the sub- Saharan region of Africa had confirmed illicit trafficking in that area and produced valuable insights and proposals on the means to tackle the issue. The Secretary-General was now seeking the help of United Nations agencies to contribute the necessary expertise and resources to foster that effort. The Secretary-General hoped the agencies and Governments concerned would share his view of the inescapable link between security and development.
The Secretary-General, said Mr. Goulding, believed the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms could become more effective in building confidence and controlling weapons if it were also developed in regional and subregional contexts.
Those were some examples of specific and concrete measures that, in the Secretary-General's judgement, could help tackle the problems of excessive and uncontrolled conventional armaments in regions of the world which were especially vulnerable. He would continue to seek support for such measures.
The Secretary-General, Mr. Goulding said, attached particular importance to the negotiations for the comprehensive test-ban treaty. Given the Disarmament Conference's growing workload, the Geneva office would be restructured to enable it to service more special meetings and conferences.
General Debate
ANTONIO DE ICUZA (Mexico) said the 1995 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference had decided to extend the Treaty indefinitely and to establish a retooled machinery for compliance with contractual obligations. In a declaration on principles and objectives, the nuclear-weapon States reaffirmed their commitment to negotiations on nuclear disarmament. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons was meaningful only if there were progress towards their total elimination. Progress in that sphere would depend on the nuclear-weapon States.
Any comprehensive nuclear-weapons test-ban treaty must entirely prohibit all nuclear tests by any States in any environment forever, he said. No tests should be permitted for any reason or with any justification. It must be ensured that the less wealthy States did not bear an inappropriate burden. Questions regarding mechanisms for verification, including whether there should be a prior consultation procedure, remained to be resolved. It was hoped the negotiations would be completed in time for the treaty to be opened for signature by the Assembly's next session.
Thirty-three States had signed the Tlatelolco Treaty, he said. That Treaty had fulfilled its purpose of eradicating the threat of nuclear weapons from the Latin American region. The five nuclear weapons Powers had provided negative security assurances to the parties to the Treaty. The same assurances should be provided to non-nuclear weapon States parties to the NPT.
New nuclear-weapon-free zones must be created in other regions. The NPT Review Conference supported the establishment of such a zone in the Middle East.
Despite the commitment at the NPT Conference to use maximum moderation in the holding of nuclear tests, such testing had continued, he said. The arguments used in support of such testing demonstrated that the nuclear arms race was continuing. Such testing could not but have an effect on the earth's environment, which was the common heritage of mankind.
MARTINEZ MOCILLO (Spain), speaking on behalf of the European Union and a number of associated countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic), said the new international environment had helped promote the objectives of the United Nations Charter. Conflicts such as those in central Africa, and the States of the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia, underlined the need to implement the Charter. Such conflicts provided incentives for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Any system in support of international peace and security must therefore include both global and regional perspectives. Verification and transparency would play an important part in those efforts.
The European Union welcomed the indefinite extension of the NPT, an aim which it had actively pursued, he said. That extension would help prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and enhance progress towards the reduction of nuclear weapons globally, with the goal of their ultimate elimination. The enhanced Treaty review procedure would also support the non-proliferation regime.
He said the Union attached particular importance to the conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear test ban by 1996. It supported, in particular, progress made towards a zero-yield option on all nuclear-weapon tests. The conclusion of a treaty banning the production of fissile materials -- "the cut-off treaty" -- was another priority. Although an ad hoc committee had been set up by the Conference on Disarmament on the matter, it was disappointing that substantive work had not yet been undertaken. The Union welcomed the efforts made by the nuclear-weapon States in the area of security assurances to the non-nuclear-weapon States.
The Union invited all States to adopt responsible policies in the transfer of nuclear items, he said. It highlighted the central role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and invited all States to participate in its regime concerning nuclear transfers. The Union invited all States to adopt responsible policies for the transfer of sensitive material and to establish export controls to prevent the transfer of weapons of mass destruction. Measures would also be taken by the Union to regulate the transfer of "dual-use technology". The Union also supported all efforts which could promote the early solution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea nuclear question.
Citing the cruel effects of anti-personnel land-mines, he drew attention to Union actions aimed at addressing that problem. The Union also supported the adoption of a binding protocol on blinding laser weapons. All measures aimed at strengthening the 1980 Convention on certain Conventional Weapons would only be optimally effective if a sufficient number of parties acceded to that Treaty. The Union also supported ongoing efforts to strengthen the Register of Conventional Arms.
He said the Union welcomed the results on conventional weapons at the summit of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It stressed the fundamental importance of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and gave importance to the Treaty on Open Skies, "as a means of encouraging transparency, security and stability from Vancouver to Vladivostock". Its timely entry into force was a priority objective for the Union.
The Union welcomed the signing of the Tlatelolco Treaty by Cuba and its ratification by Guyana, he said. It welcomed progress towards an African nuclear-weapon-free zone treaty, and the work for increased security in the Asia-Pacific region and for a denuclearized zone in South-East Asia. It also cited efforts to create a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and endorsed efforts aimed at strengthening security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region.
FERENC SOMOGYI (Hungary) said his country would like to see the emergence of an all-European security system built upon cooperation among States and international organizations.
He said Hungary was convinced that with ideological divisions gone, a spirit of cooperation should prevail; arms control and disarmament must remain an integral part of the security agenda. Existing arms treaties must be fully implemented and properly verified, and new commitments elaborated where appropriate.
The international community was facing the necessity to reassess its thinking on the whole approach to disarmament, he said.
The indefinite extension of the NPT was a telling example of the current alertness of the international community to weapons of mass destruction. That extension would add stability to a new international security system. Mr. Somogyi said Hungary was committed to full implementation of the NPT Review Conference and the early conclusion of a comprehensive test-ban treaty, as well as a treaty banning the production of fissile material. Progress banning nuclear test explosions in a verifiable and comprehensive manner was well advanced and irreversible.
Continuing, he said the decisions by the United Kingdom, United States, and France to support a truly comprehensive ban on nuclear testing boded well, but unilateral commitments to refrain from conducting nuclear tests were not maintained by all. He stressed the importance of utmost restraint in nuclear testing and stated his belief that a universal cut-off treaty was realistic and achievable in a relatively short period of time.
He further stated that properly functioning mechanisms of verification were essential in assuring compliance and building confidence. The kind of mechanisms in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces (CFE Treaty) contributed to the security of the region. He welcomed the prospect of a comprehensive test-ban treaty with a strict verification system, such as that in the framework of the chemical and bacteriological weapons.
Hungary shared the concern about the enormous global problem posed by anti-personnel land-mines and called for urgent measures to ban them.
Mr. Somogyi concurred with the Secretary-General's concern for micro- disarmament and added that more effective ways to combat illicit transfer of small conventional weapons was needed. He advocated the importance of transparency measures and further refinement of the Register of Conventional Arms and extension of its scope. It was on the regional level that increasing confidence and transparency had the most positive effects, he said, especially concerning conventional weaponry.
He also advocated the early establishment of a mechanism for reduction of conventional arms in the former Yugoslavia, adding that there was a need for a treaty limiting the armed forces of States that had emerged there.
LUIS VALENCIA (Ecuador) emphasized the obligations assumed by the nuclear Powers to conclude a comprehensive nuclear test ban by 1996. He cited the need for prompt conclusion of negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissionable materials, as well as efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the aim of achieving general and complete disarmament. The resumption of nuclear tests by China and France during the period of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference was a matter of particular concern.
He said the Treaties of Tlatelolco and of Rarotonga must be used as models for other regions. Regional disarmament must be complemented by global efforts in conventional disarmament. Ecuador was also concerned at the uneven distribution of arms among States within particular regions. Small States with less military means suffered most from such military imbalances.
Stressing the importance of conventional disarmament, he said that in 1995, the least developed countries spent $49 per person for the purchase of such weapons. One major Power monopolized three quarters of arms trafficking in the developing world. Ecuador supported efforts to ban anti-personnel land-mines. It also called on States to sign the chemical weapons Convention.
Actions in support of general and complete disarmament were related to security concerns. Such concerns included terrorism, drug trafficking and ethnic conflicts, which threatened the State from within its own borders.
GEORGUI DIMITROV (Bulgaria) stressed the importance of the decision to extend the NPT and to strengthen its review process. Strengthening of the non-proliferation regime required transparency by States regarding their nuclear activities. Bulgaria supported the conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear test ban by 1996.
States which had renounced the nuclear option in a legally binding form had a legitimate right to be assured against the use or threat of use of such weapons. Bulgaria welcomed the statements made by the nuclear-weapon States on such security assurances.
He said Bulgaria was among the initiators of regional disarmament processes and supported further specific confidence-building and arms control measures in the Balkans. Bulgaria was encouraged by recent developments aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement to the conflict on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Even before such a settlement was achieved, there was an urgent need to start laying the foundations for lasting stability, security and cooperation in the South-Central European region.
In that context, he called for reaffirmation of the basic standards of good-neighbourly relations and internationally recognized borders; and the development of transborder cooperation, thus facilitating the free movement of commodities, services, capital and people. Any disproportionate concentration of armaments, especially when combined with lack of control mechanisms, would have a negative impact on security and stability, he said. Therefore, the establishment of a credible system of arms control and security- and confidence-building measures for the territory of the former Yugoslavia should be an essential part of the post-war settlement.
JORGE PEREZ OTERMIN (Uruguay) said the results of the 1995 NPT Review Conference were important. Certain principles stood out, including the need for States to cooperate to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, as well as commitments regarding nuclear tests. The holding of underground nuclear tests by certain States, in the face of their commitments and of history itself, was disappointing. Uruguay supported efforts in the First Committee to produce a text reflecting international concerns about nuclear tests. As a party to the Tlatelolco Treaty, Uruguay supported the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones.
The lack of consensus in the Conference on Disarmament on nuclear disarmament was a matter of concern. Uruguay was also concerned about the use of land-mines, in the context of the review of the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons. Attention must also be given to the illicit trafficking in weapons and the destabilization of small States.
DATO'HJ. MOHD. ZIHIN (Malaysia) said the Malaysian Prime Minister, addressing the current General Assembly session, had called for States to commit to nuclear disarmament and to reduce their arsenals within a specific time frame, beginning with a cessation of nuclear tests. Still, some Member States had not heeded the call.
The 1995 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference, he said, was the centerpiece of the nuclear disarmament issue. Malaysia had hoped that an extension for a fixed period would ensure that the nuclear Powers made progress towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty, provision of security assurances, a ban on the production of fissile material, respect for nuclear-weapon-free zones, and full access of non-nuclear weapon States parties to nuclear material and technology for peaceful purposes.
At the time of the review of the NPT, he had anticipated that the extension of the treaty would give nuclear Powers a free hand. His fears have been confirmed. He would like to applaud those nuclear-weapon States that had imposed self-moratoria, and called on nuclear-weapon States not to hinder the progress of current work to negotiate a CTBT by the end of 1996.
"True zero yield is encouraging", he said. A nuclear test ban should be total and complete, with no exceptions. Any use of nuclear weapons, he continued, was illegal under international law and should be outlawed by the international community.
He supported the United Nations RCA and said it should include more data.
He expressed regret that the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Vienna could not reach agreement on strengthening the protocol on land- mines. It was difficult to comprehend that this could not be achieved, and frightening to know that some 110 million mines were buried in 64 countries. He added that with respect to the rehabilitation of land-mine victims, he who profited from the tools of war must contribute to the maintenance of peace.
Expansion of the membership of the Conference on Disarmament was most welcome, he said, adding that non-governmental organizations could also make valuable contributions in the discussions on disarmament. International security was not a matter for a privileged few, but the common responsibility of the entire international community.
IAN R. KENYON, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the future Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said 159 States had already signed the Convention. Forty of them had already deposited their instruments of ratification with the Secretary-General. The fact that so many States had signed the Convention in the relatively short time since it was opened for signature in January 1993 reflected its broad international support.
The incidents of chemical terrorism in Japan this spring and summer had highlighted the threat of chemical weapons proliferation, even beyond the level of the State itself. Although the Convention was not specifically designed to combat terrorism, it would provide a forum for coordinating appropriate responses to the threat of terrorist attacks with chemical weapons, including the provision of protective equipment.
Although the Convention had already been ratified by 40 States, there was growing concern that the two largest declared possessors of chemical weapons -- the United States and the Russian Federation -- had yet to do so. Their absence from the list of ratifiers would seriously affect the meaningful implementation and entry into force of the Convention. A number of countries who had yet to ratify the Convention were waiting for them to take the lead.
He reviewed efforts being undertaken to build the infrastructure for the future Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Progress in setting up that infrastructure had been fairly smooth, he said, with agreement on the site and design of a new building for the Organisation. Attention was now focusing on developing a personnel policy which would attract highly qualified experts; setting up an information management system to support the verification mechanism while taking care of confidentiality concerns; and finalizing the draft for a headquarters agreement with the host State (the Netherlands).
There were matters still to be resolved, including declarations in the chemical industry and chemical weapons production facilities; procedures for verification of old and abandoned chemical weapons; the timing of harmonizing export controls; and in preparing the transition with the Preparatory
Commission and the Organisation. Stressing the need to bring the Convention into legal force as soon as possible, he said "the opportunity for eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction forever should not be frittered away."
Right of Reply
JOELLE BOURGOIS (France), speaking in right of reply, said some delegations had referred to the question of nuclear testing. Those interventions prompted her to place the last series of tests carried out by France in the context of the full and total halting of nuclear tests. She said France endorsed the objective of concluding a comprehensive ban on all nuclear tests. However, in the short time period before the end of May 1996, France needed to ensure the reliability of its weapons, as well as its mastery of the techniques of simulation. Those tests allowed France to back the most demanding option for the test-ban treaty.
Some observations made this morning were unfounded. France's tests did not damage the environment, she said. International experts had demonstrated that those tests were harmless.
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