CAUSES, PREVENTION OF EXCESSIVE ACCUMULATION AND TRANSFER OF SMALL ARMS, FOCUS OF TEXT APPROVED BY FIRST COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/DIS/3047
CAUSES, PREVENTION OF EXCESSIVE ACCUMULATION AND TRANSFER OF SMALL ARMS, FOCUS OF TEXT APPROVED BY FIRST COMMITTEE
19951120 The Assembly would ask the Secretary-General to report on the types of small arms and light weapons being used in conflicts, the nature and causes of the excessive accumulation and transfer of such arms, and ways to prevent it, according to a draft resolution approved this afternoon by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).According to the text, which was approved, as orally amended, by 134 votes in favour to none against with 16 abstentions, the Secretary-General would prepare his report with the assistance of a panel of qualified governmental experts, to be nominated on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. (For details of the voting, see Annex II.)
Prior to approval of the text as a whole, an amendment by which the Assembly would reaffirm the right to self-determination of all peoples, particularly those under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, was approved by 54 votes in favour to none against, with 88 abstentions. (See Annex I.)
Also this afternoon, acting without a vote, the Committee approved draft resolutions on regional confidence-building measures and on the final text of the African nuclear-weapon-free zone treaty (the Pelindaba treaty).
By the text on regional confidence-building measures, the Assembly would ask States and governmental and non-governmental organizations to facilitate the holding of a training programme on peace operations in the Central African subregion. It would also ask the Secretary-General to continue providing assistance to States members of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa and to establish a trust fund for additional voluntary contributions for the Committee's work.
On the Pelindaba treaty, the Assembly would invite the African States to sign and ratify the treaty as soon as possible and would call on the nuclear-
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weapon States to sign its relevant protocols as soon as it became available for signature. The Assembly would ask the Secretary-General to extend assistance to the African States in 1996, within existing resources, to achieve the aims of the draft.
Statements were made by the representatives of Uruguay, United States, Benin, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Singapore, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, Malta, Italy, India, Indonesia, France, Israel, Iran, Spain (also for the European Union and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Romania and Slovak Republic), China, Papua New Guinea and South Africa.
The First Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 21 November, to conclude its work for the current session by taking action on a draft resolution concerning a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament.
Committee Work Programme
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this afternoon to continue taking action on draft resolutions and decisions on disarmament. It had before it texts on small arms, regional confidence- building measures, and a treaty on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone.
In a draft resolution on small arms (document A/C.1/50/L.7), the Assembly would decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session an item entitled "small arms". According to the text, the Secretary- General would be requested to prepare a report on the types of small arms and light weapons actually being used in conflicts; the nature and causes of the excessive and destabilizing accumulation and transfer of small arms and light weapons; and ways and means to prevent it.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Afghanistan, Australia, Argentina, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mali, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom and the United States.
Also before the Committee was an amendment proposed by Colombia (distributed informally), by which the following would appear as a new fourth preambular paragraph:
"Reaffirming the right of self-determination of all peoples, in particular of peoples under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, and the importance of the effective realization of this right, as enunciated, inter alia, in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights;".
The Committee also has before it a statement of programme budget implications (document A/C.1/50/L.60) of the draft resolution on small arms. It states that, should the Assembly adopt the draft resolution, no additional requirements would arise under the relevant sections of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997.
By a draft resolution on regional confidence-building measures (document A/C.1/50/L.20/Rev.1), the Assembly would ask States and governmental and non- governmental organizations to facilitate the holding of a training programme on peace operations in the Central African subregion. It would ask the Secretary-General to continue providing assistance to States members of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa and to establish a trust fund for additional voluntary contributions for the Committee's work.
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The text is sponsored by Cape Verde and by Congo, as Chairman of the Standing Advisory Committee.
The Committee also has before it a statement of programme budget implications (document A/C.1/50/L.61) of the draft resolution on regional confidence-building measures. It states that, should the Assembly adopt the draft resolution, no additional requirements would arise under the relevant sections of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997. In addition, the Secretary-General would act to establish the trust fund of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, to meet the other costs involved in the full implementation of the Committee's programme of work.
By a draft resolution on the final text of a treaty on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone (the Pelindaba treaty) (document A/C.1/50/L.23/Rev.1), the Assembly would invite the African States to sign and ratify the treaty as soon as possible. It would call on all States to respect Africa as a nuclear-weapon-free zone, and to ensure the speedy application of the treaty to territories for which they are internationally responsible -- de jure or de facto -- and which lie within the zone established in the treaty.
By other terms of the text, the Assembly would call on the nuclear- weapon States to sign the protocols that concern them as soon as the treaty becomes available for signature. The Secretary-General would be asked to extend assistance to the African States in 1996, within existing resources, to achieve the aims of the draft resolution. The text is sponsored by the Marshall Islands and by South Africa on behalf of the African Group of States.
Statements
GUSTAVO ALVAREZ (Uruguay), speaking on the draft on small arms, said he fully supported the text. In the fourth preambular paragraph, mercenary organizations should be added. He would have the sponsors of the text consider that addition for the next session.
STEPHEN LEDOGAR (United States) asked that his country be withdrawn from the list of co-sponsors to the draft if the amendment was adopted. He placed great importance on the issue of small arms, and supported the purpose and goals of the draft. Now, primarily due to the actions of one or two delegations, he was forced to witness a number of withdrawals of co-sponsors, and changed votes, which would thereby weaken the impact of the draft. Surely, the sponsors know that proposing such additions would have a destructive result. "The amendments forced upon us have practically no relevance to the matter at hand", he said. He would reconsider his vote on the entire draft, depending on what action was taken on amendments.
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GEORGES A. WHANNOU (Benin) said that had his delegation been present at the time of the votes last week on the draft on the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, and the draft on environmental standards in disarmament agreements, he would have voted in favour of them. He asked that it be reflected in the record.
MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan), speaking on the draft on small arms, said he fully shared the concern of the Japanese delegation, the principal sponsor of the draft, with regard to the instability created in various regions of the world due to accumulation of armaments. His country had suffered first-hand. However, any approach to the control of armaments must not exacerbate instability and conflict. The draft sought to focus attention exclusively on certain types of arms, and therefore excluded others which could be equally de-stabilizing.
The best way to approach the issue would have been to invite the views of the Member States. Then the principal causes of instability and the ways and means to address them could have been identified. The current text would entrust the problem to a group of yet-unknown group of experts. Such groups, at times, projected views that were tilted to preconceived notions of certain groups of States at the expense of smaller, and more vulnerable ones. The inalienable right of self-determination, security and self-defence, and the right to oppose and eject foreign occupation should not be prejudiced. He expressed the hope that the additional preambular paragraph, suggested by the Colombian delegation, would receive the widest possible support.
Sir MICHAEL WESTON (United Kingdom) said that Japan had conducted intensive consultations which led to a clear text requesting the Secretary- General to prepare a report with the assistance of a panel of experts. It set out clear parameters and avoided unacceptable language. He had decided to co-sponsor that important initiative in the neglected field of conventional disarmament. He regretted that the co-sponsors politicized the draft and shifted its focus.
The amendment was not an attempt to forge a compromise, since it was tabled with the full knowledge that it was unacceptable to the sponsors. He would therefore abstain in his vote. If the amendment was adopted, he would withdraw his co-sponsorship. He said his "enthusiasm for L.7 is greater than our dislike for the amendment". Yet he would not support language designed to hold back, rather than to promote such initiatives -- language designed to score political points, rather than promote disarmament.
GRIGORY BERDENNIKOV (Russian Federation) said he had already emphasized that the problem of micro-disarmament raised by the Secretary-General was global in nature and warranted careful attention. The illegal use of arms was always bringing about new victims. However, the amendment proposed by
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Colombia had changed the balance of the draft. For that reason, he would abstain from the vote on the draft if the amendment -- which altered the balance and politicized the draft -- were to pass.
The representative of Singapore, speaking in explanation of vote, said his country supported the draft resolution on small arms as a key text of particular importance. However, he was not comfortable with the methods it presented for dealing with the problem. The text called for the Secretary- General to prepare a report with the assistance of a panel of group of qualified governmental experts. Those experts will represent the views of their respective countries.
The text also calls on the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States, to be made available for consideration by the panel of governmental experts, he said. It does not make clear whether the panel must or even ought to take those views into consideration. Presumably, the panel could ignore such views entirely, if it chose to do so. That procedure would undermine the political and moral authority of any report prepared by that panel.
The proposed amendment to the draft resolution on small arms was approved by 54 votes in favour to none against, with 88 abstentions. (For details of the voting, see Annex I.)
The representatives of Denmark, Norway and Iceland said their countries had decided to withdraw their co-sponsorship of the draft resolution as now amended.
The representatives of Portugal, Finland, Belgium, Malta and Italy said their countries had decided to withdraw their co-sponsorship of the draft resolution. However, they would vote in favour of the text as a whole.
The draft resolution on small arms was approved as a whole, as orally amended, by 134 votes in favour to none against, with 16 abstentions. (Annex II.)
The Committee then turned to the draft resolution on regional confidence-building measures, approving it without a vote.
The Committee then turned to the draft resolution on the treaty on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone, approving it without a vote.
Explanation of Vote
The representative of the United States, speaking on the draft on regional confidence-building measures, said the focus of the draft was not on disarmament, but on peace operations which could involve peace-keeping. A peace-keeping issue was not an appropriate undertaking for the Committee. He
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was pleased to join consensus on the draft on the treaty on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone. His support for the treaty stemmed from his commitment undertaken at the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which called for the establishment of additional nuclear-weapon-free zones. He continued to study the protocols of the treaty, and while he had just given concrete evidence for its support, he was unable to commit to meeting the timetable envisaged in operative paragraph 5.
The representative of Spain said he had joined in the consensus on the draft on the treaty on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone. He was firmly convinced of the importance of the establishment of such zones, on the basis of agreements freely entered into. Spain was a State party to the NPT and had signed an agreement for full safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The final text of the Pelindaba treaty was studied very carefully by his country from the legal standpoint, but in no way pre-judged the signing of the third protocol.
The representative of India, speaking on the draft on small arms, said his country had abstained. The consultations on the draft were inadequate. The views of Member States should be considered before a panel of experts made decisions.
The representative of Indonesia said that the general thrust of the draft on small arms deserved his support. However, arms transfers and illegal arms trafficking were distinctly different, and the draft had unwittingly combined them. The text should confine itself exclusively to illicit arms transfers. He also questioned the value of a panel of experts. Given such reservations, he had abstained on the draft.
The representative of France, speaking as a nuclear-weapon State, said he had joined in the consensus on the draft on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone. He supported the movement towards regional denuclearization with the full support of all countries concerned.
The representative of Israel said he had joined the consensus on the draft because he supported the concept of nuclear-free zones that were directly negotiated. Regarding the ninth preambular paragraph, each zone should be tailored according to its regional characteristics.
The representative of Iran, speaking on the draft on small arms, said some who had supported the draft were not clear on its real purpose, the basis of work for a panel of experts in the absence of the concrete views of States, and the financial implications of the draft at a time when United Nations resources could be allocated to priority issues of disarmament.
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The representative of Spain, speaking on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Slovak Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland and Romania, said he had abstained on the vote on the oral amendment to the draft on small arms -- not because he had objected to its content, but because it was not possible to make references which exceeded the context in which they were drafted.
The representative of the United Kingdom said he was glad to join consensus on the draft on an African nuclear-weapon-free zone. Such zones could enhance global and regional peace and security. The document adopted at the NPT Review Conference highlighted the importance of the nuclear-weapon States for such zones to be fully effective. He was now studying the text of the protocols, which raised certain points that needed careful consideration. He would reach a decision on the protocols in the near future, but until then, he could not accept the timetable set out in the draft.
The representative of China said he had joined consensus on the draft on the African nuclear-weapon-free zone. Nuclear-weapon States should respect the status of such zones and assume corresponding negotiations. China would actively consider signing the relevant protocols at an early date. He had not participated in the vote on the draft on small arms, in view of concerns expressed by the international community. Since the category of small arms was a completely new one, he needed to study its meaning and scope further.
The representative of Papua New Guinea said that the amendment proposed by the representative of Colombia had caused him to abstain from voting on the amendment. However, he supported the draft as a whole because of his belief that the transfer of small arms -- which gave rise to national instabilities -- should be contained.
Statement
T. MARKRAM (South Africa), speaking on the draft of an African nuclear- weapon-free zone treaty, said he welcomed its adoption by consensus. However, he could not hide his disappointment at the explanations of vote, specifically by the United States and the United Kingdom, in which they said that they were not certain that they would sign the protocols within a given timeframe. The treaty text had been in position since the end of May. He hoped the process would have been completed by the end of February 1996. Signing was his interpretation of support. Actions speak louder than words. The treaty should not suffer the same fate as the Treaty of Rarotonga -- which 10 years later -- had not been signed by the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
(annexes follow)
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First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3047 28th Meeting (PM) 20 November 1995
ANNEX I
Vote on Oral Amendment to Draft on Small Arms
The oral amendment to the draft on small arms (document A/C.1/50/L.7) was approved by a recorded vote of 54 in favour to none against, with 88 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, China, Colombia, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against: None.
Abstaining: Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Chile, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Absent: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Palau, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Zaire.
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(END OF ANNEX I)
First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3047 28th Meeting (PM) 20 November 1995
ANNEX II
Vote on Draft on Small Arms
The draft on small arms (document A/C.1/50/L.7) was approved by a recorded vote of 134 in favour to none against, with 16 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against: None.
Abstaining: Bahrain, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates.
Absent: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Zaire.
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