ASSEMBLY ASKED TO URGE NUCLEAR POWERS TO STOP PRODUCING NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY DRAFT APPROVED IN FIRST COMMITTEE VOTE
Press Release
GA/DIS/3042
ASSEMBLY ASKED TO URGE NUCLEAR POWERS TO STOP PRODUCING NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY DRAFT APPROVED IN FIRST COMMITTEE VOTE
19951116 Committee also Approves Texts on Indiscriminate Weapons Convention, Contributions to Nuclear Disarmament, Good Relations Among Balkan StatesThe General Assembly would urge the nuclear-weapon States to stop immediately the qualitative improvement, development, stockpiling and production of nuclear warheads and delivery systems, under a draft resolution approved this afternoon by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security). The draft was approved by 99 votes in favour to 39 against, with 15 abstentions.
By other terms of the text, the Assembly would call on those States to undertake a phased programme of deep reductions of nuclear weapons, with a view to their total elimination within a time-bound framework. The Conference on Disarmament would be called on to establish an ad hoc committee to begin negotiations on such a phased programme. (For details of voting, see Annex.)
The Assembly would also address the issues of the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons, contributions to nuclear disarmament, and good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States, by three other texts approved today without a vote.
By the text on the Indiscriminate Weapons Convention, the Assembly would urgently call on all States to become parties to the Convention and its Protocols as soon as possible. It would ask States parties to intensify efforts to conclude negotiations on a strengthened Protocol II, concerning land-mines, booby traps and other devices. It would also commend the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons to all States, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence at an early date.
The Assembly would recognize the significant contribution to nuclear disarmament and to regional and global security made by Belarus, Kazakstan and Ukraine -- which have voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons -- and by South
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Africa, which has voluntarily given up its nuclear-weapons programme, under the terms of another text. It would acknowledge that Ukraine's decision, as well as decisions taken by Belarus and Kazakstan, had contributed to the entry into force of the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START I).
The Assembly would urge normalization of relations among all the Balkan States, by another text. It would call on them to undertake unilateral and joint activities, particularly confidence-building measures, in particular within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Also this morning, draft resolutions on prohibiting the production of fissile material for weapons purposes and on the Chemical Weapons Convention were withdrawn by their sponsors. Withdrawal of the texts was announced by the representative of Canada.
Statements were made by the representatives of Belarus, Algeria, Thailand, Colombia (for the Non-Aligned Movement), Myanmar, Pakistan, United States, Russian Federation, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Iran, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, China, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine and Argentina.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue taking action on draft resolutions and decisions.
Committee Work Programme
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to continue taking action on draft resolutions and decisions on disarmament questions. It had before it draft resolutions on the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons, good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States, nuclear disarmament, and contributions to nuclear disarmament.
The Committee also has before it a draft resolution on the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons) (document A/C.1/50/L.34). By its terms, the Assembly would urgently call on all States to become parties to the Convention and its Protocols as soon as possible. It would urgently call upon successor States to take appropriate measures so that access to those instruments will be universal.
The Assembly would call on the States parties to intensify their efforts to conclude negotiations on a strengthened Protocol II, which concerns prohibitions or restrictions on the use of mines, booby traps and other devices. It would call on the maximum number of States to attend the Convention's Review Conference. It would call on the Secretary-General to continue assisting the Conference and, as depositary, to continue informing it periodically of accessions to the Convention and its Protocols. It would also commend the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV) to all States, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to it at an early date.
The text is sponsored by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.
An 24-Power text on good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States (document A/C.1/50/L.43) would have the Assembly call on the Balkan States to promote good-neighbourly relations and to undertake unilateral and joint activities, particularly confidence-building measures, within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). All States of the Balkan region would be urged to normalize relations. The Assembly would urge relevant international organizations and United Nations bodies to submit their views on the subject to the Secretary-General.
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The draft is sponsored by Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
A draft on nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/50/L.46), co-sponsored by 32 countries, would urge the nuclear-weapon States to stop immediately the qualitative improvement, development, stockpiling and production of nuclear warheads and their delivery systems. They would be called upon to undertake step-by-step reduction of the nuclear threat and a phased programme of progressive and balanced deep reductions of nuclear weapons, and to carry out effective nuclear disarmament measures with a view to their total elimination within a time-bound framework.
By other terms of the text, the Assembly would call on the Conference on Disarmament to establish, on a priority basis, an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament to commence negotiations early in 1996. The Secretary-General would be asked to submit a report on the implementation of the draft at the Assembly's next session.
The draft is sponsored by Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.
A draft on contributions to nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/50/L.50/Rev.2) would recognize the significant contribution to nuclear disarmament and the strengthening of regional and global security made by Belarus, Kazakstan and Ukraine -- which have voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons -- and by South Africa, which has voluntarily given up its nuclear- weapons programme.
The Assembly would welcome a number of accessions to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), including that of Ukraine as a non-nuclear-weapon State. It would acknowledge that Ukraine's decision, as well as relevant decisions taken by Belarus and Kazakstan, had contributed to the entry into force of the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START I), which was "a major landmark in the process of nuclear disarmament".
By other terms of the text, the Assembly would welcome the signing of the Treaty on the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms by the Russian Federation and the United States and would urge them to bring that Treaty into force at the earliest possible date. It would also acknowledge the progress of the parties to date in implementing START I.
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The draft resolution is sponsored by Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Monaco, the Marshall Islands and Ukraine.
Statements
ALEG LAPTSENAK (Belarus) said the fate of nuclear disarmament was a responsibility of all States. The role of Belarus, Kazakstan and Ukraine was well known in providing practical impetus for implementing the NPT. The thrust of the draft on nuclear disarmament constructively emphasized the importance of the efforts of all countries towards the goal of nuclear disarmament, and gave a positive impetus for further measures in that area.
SALAH FOUATHIA (Algeria) said a more secure world for all would derive from security that was not selective in nature. The draft on nuclear disarmament enabled the non-aligned countries to express their desire for nuclear disarmament -- made possible because of the new dynamics resulting from the end of the cold war. The draft would make it possible to reiterate the support for the spirit that reigned at the NPT Review and Extension Conference. It would give new encouragement to efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament by eliminating nuclear weapons according to a specific timetable. The draft also reflected his concept of nuclear disarmament, which must lead to release of tremendous resources needed by all human beings whose fundamental rights must no longer be in doubt.
JACKRID KANJANASOON (Thailand) said he was convinced that approval of the draft on nuclear disarmament would be an important step towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Therefore, Thailand had decided to become a co-sponsor. All other delegations should support the draft.
ANDELFO GARCIA (Colombia), speaking on behalf of the members of the Non- Aligned Movement, said that while the draft on nuclear disarmament was not submitted by the Movement as such, it had the broad support of its members. He was convinced that, with the end of the cold war, the time had come for all nuclear-weapon States to adopt effective measures of nuclear disarmament with the view of their total elimination by a specific date. The text contained a mandate emanating from the Cartagena summit calling on a special committee on nuclear disarmament to begin negotiations in 1996 towards the eventual elimination of such weapons within a time-bound framework.
M. J. MOHER (Canada) spoke on the draft on the prohibition of the production of fissile material and on behalf of the 48 co-sponsors of the text. He had wanted a procedural resolution which encouraged the continuation of the process already initiated in the Conference on Disarmament. He also had wished to avoid substance because that was a very complex issue to negotiate. It was with considerable regret that he had to advise the Committee that not all issues of the draft had been resolved, and Canada, on
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behalf of the co-sponsors, was withdrawing the draft from further consideration by the Committee.
BEHROUZ MORADI (Iran) said the draft on nuclear disarmament had enjoyed the support of an overwhelming number of members of the Non-Aligned Movement, including his delegation. The draft was one of the few important texts before the Committee which was timely and corresponded to the true needs and requirements of the current session of the General Assembly. He hoped that the Conference on Disarmament would agree in its next session to establish an ad hoc committee to begin negotiations on nuclear disarmament.
U MYA THAN (Myanmar) requested that the name of Mauritius be added to the co-sponsors of the draft on nuclear disarmament. It was the single, most comprehensive text which reflected the commitment of the international community for nuclear disarmament. It also enjoyed the support of all the members of the non-aligned countries, and well beyond the non-aligned movement.
MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan), spoke on the amendments to the draft on prohibiting the production of fissile material (amendments contained in L.57). He appreciated all efforts to put forward such a draft. It did touch on some substantive aspects of the subject. There were divergencies within the Disarmament Conference, specifically with respect to the scope of the treaty. He and others had made a serious effort to reflect the consensus. Unfortunately, efforts towards a consensus were not successful. Now, with the decision by Canada and the co-sponsors to withdraw the draft, the co-sponsors of the amendments will also withdraw those.
Explanation of Vote
The representative of the United States, speaking on his forthcoming "no-vote" on the resolution on nuclear disarmament, said it was "a creative, but dishonest and destructive attempt to rewrite history". It took selective quotes from other documents and strung them together in ways that indicated that nuclear-weapon States had undertaken commitments that they had not undertaken. Specifically, the text had selected elements from the NPT Treaty itself, and other documents from its Review Conference. Yet the text carefully avoided any reference to the Non-Proliferation Treaty -- which called upon the Conference on Disarmament to undertake negotiations on nuclear disarmament.
He said the Conference on Disarmament had been unable to undertake such negotiations because of actions by the sponsors of the current text. He urged all delegates to think about the real interests of the international community, and not try to play games with a document, and substitute words for agreed upon international treaties.
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The draft resolution on nuclear disarmament was approved by a recorded vote of 99 in favour to 39 against, with 15 abstentions. (For details of voting, see Annex I.)
The draft resolution on contributions to nuclear disarmament was approved without a vote.
Speaking in explanation of vote, the representative of China said he voted in favour of the text on nuclear disarmament. China had always advocated the destruction of all nuclear weapons. A convention should be adopted on the complete prohibition of nuclear weapons, as was done with chemical and biological weapons. Nevertheless, some provisions in the draft resolution might be improved upon.
The representative of the Russian Federation said he supported the text on contributions to nuclear disarmament. It reflected the recent positive developments in the field. The reference in operative paragraph 5 to the voluntary renunciation of nuclear weapons had no bearing on the substance of the issue of the possession of nuclear weapons by the former Soviet Union. Following the collapse of that country, the number of States possessing nuclear weapons had not changed.
The representative of New Zealand said he had abstained on the text concerning nuclear disarmament. To be helpful to the process of nuclear disarmament, draft resolutions should have a balanced view of the situation they covered. It was not balanced to ignore the extension of the NPT, nor was it balanced to take no account of the urgency of a comprehensive test-ban treaty. New Zealand found the current text unhelpful.
The representative of Australia said he had abstained on the nuclear disarmament text. Australia was committed to a systematic process of nuclear disarmament. It was now possible to map concrete steps towards a world free of nuclear weapons. The lack of any reference to non-proliferation and to the actions taken at this year's NPT Conference left the text unbalanced. To ask the Conference on Disarmament to begin efforts to negotiate a ban on nuclear weapons could interfere with efforts under way to conclude a comprehensive test ban and a ban on fissile materials.
The representative of Japan said the use of nuclear weapons should never be repeated. The draft resolution was not a product of the views of the countries concerned, such as the United States, Russian Federation, and other States. It was not formulated on the basis of appropriate coordination and consultation. Further, it contained no reference to the highly important outcomes of the NPT Conference. Japan therefore had been unable to support it.
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The representative of the Republic of Korea said he abstained on the nuclear disarmament text because it failed to refer to the results of the NPT Conference. However, his delegation shared the ultimate objectives of the Organization. The highest priority in the nuclear disarmament agenda should, at present, be efforts to conclude a comprehensive test-ban treaty and a ban on the production of fissile materials for weapons purposes.
M. J. MOHER (Canada), speaking on behalf of the 53 co-sponsors of the draft resolution on the chemical weapons Convention (document A/C.1/50/L.14), said Canada and Poland had hoped to put forward a procedural resolution on the matter. However, since it had not been possible to reach agreement on a consensus text, the co-sponsors were withdrawing the draft resolution. It was hoped that developments in The Hague and in national capitals would make it possible to take more positive action in the future.
BEHROUZ MORADI (Iran) withdrew the proposed amendments to the text on the chemical weapons Convention (document A/C.1/50/L.54). He said fruitful discussions had been held regarding the text on the chemical weapons Convention. Unfortunately, it had not been possible to resolve some of the issues. However, that should not in any way interrupt the work in The Hague, which should lead to early entry into force of the Convention. Iran's proposed amendments had simply aimed at giving a more focused direction and purpose to the draft.
The Committee then turned to the text on the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons.
Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General, SOHRAB KHERADI, Committee Secretary, said the text would ask the Secretary-General to continue furnishing needed assistance to the Convention's Review Conference. The activity called for in operative paragraph 9 was covered in the proposed programme budget, under the heading of disarmament. It would be carried out from within approved resources. His mandate under the draft would have no financial implications for the United Nations regular budget with respect to conference-servicing and associated costs. All activities relating to international conventions or treaties were to be financed outside the regular budget and must be received from the States parties in advance.
The draft resolution on the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons was approved without a vote.
YEHIEL YATIV (Israel) said his country had acceded to the Convention in March this year. In the context of the peace process, Israel considered it vital to support the principles of the Convention and to restrict the use of weapons having indiscriminate effects. However, it was necessary to balance humanitarian and security concerns, in order to prevent suffering. Israel
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repeated its call to its regional partners to accede to the Convention as a regional confidence-building measure and a sign of hope for the future.
MURAT ESENLI (Turkey) said the Convention was one of the cornerstone instruments in the field of disarmament. Operative paragraph 3 of the text, which urgently called on States to become parties to the Convention and its Protocols, could only become meaningful when the Convention completed its work on Protocol II, dealing with the use of mines, booby traps and other devices.
Mr. KAREM (Egypt), speaking on the draft on the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons, said the work of the Vienna Conference had not achieved any significant success on the Protocol concerning land-mines and booby traps. Obstacles to that Conference had dimmed hopes for developing and strengthening the provisions of the Convention on Indiscriminate Conventional Weapons. Such failure was due to the Conference's inability to introduce amendments that would provide assistance in removing mines. If the current draft had called for more participation by certain countries to that Convention, it would have been more effective in concluding the introduction of the proposed amendments to the Conventional Weapons Convention, particularly concerning assistance to countries suffering the effects of land- mines.
SHA ZUKANG (China) had participated in the consensus on the draft. The Conference in Vienna had adopted a protocol on blinding laser weapons, but it did not have a chance to complete its protocol on land-mines. All sides now had a more profound and complete understanding of each other's position. He had done his best to make compromises. He was in favour of approving the Protocol on land-mines, but it needed to achieve a balance between national military needs and humanitarian ones. Parties to the solution of the problem had vast differences in their level of development and security. He hoped that at the renewed sessions of the Conference in January and April, all sides would be flexible, pragmatic and offer a spirit of compromise.
Mr. CALOVSKI (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), speaking on the draft on good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States, said its sponsors would like to propose that it be adopted without a vote. The text addressed the future relations among Balkan States and their integration in Europe. He had been emphasizing the need for "Europeanization" of those States, not their "Balkanization". It was fitting to note that the draft was co-sponsored by all States of the European Union. That suggested that the aim of the draft was realistic.
Action on Draft
The draft on good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States was approved without a vote.
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Statements
VOLODYMYR M. BANDURA (Ukraine) wished to thank all delegations for their support of the resolution on contributions to nuclear disarmament, which was adopted without a vote. He fully supported the idea of general and complete disarmament, and was most gratified that no new nuclear States had emerged on the map of the world.
ALEJANDRO DEIMUNDO (Argentina) said he had voted in favour of the resolution on transparency in armaments, and sought the necessary correction on the record.
(annex follows)
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First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3042 23rd Meeting (AM) 16 November 1995
ANNEX
Vote on the Draft on Nuclear Disarmament
The draft on nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/50/L.46/Rev.1) was approved by a recorded vote of 99 in favour to 39 against, with 15 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan.
Abstaining: Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belarus, Benin, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Japan, Kazakstan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation.
Absent: Barbados, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Monaco, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Zaire.
* *** *
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