ASSEMBLY WOULD URGE BAN ON ANTI-PERSONNEL LAND-MINES BY DRAFT RESOLUTION INTRODUCED THIS MORNING IN FIRST COMMITTEE

4 November 1996

Press Release
GA/DIS/3064

ASSEMBLY WOULD URGE BAN ON ANTI-PERSONNEL LAND-MINES BY DRAFT RESOLUTION INTRODUCED THIS MORNING IN FIRST COMMITTEE

19961104 Text Among 18 Draft Resolutions, 1 Draft Decision, On Disarmament, International Security Issues

The General Assembly would urge States to pursue vigorously a legally binding international ban on the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel land-mines, according to one of 18 draft resolutions introduced this morning in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), along with one draft decision.

In introducing the 84-Power text, the representative for the United States said her country recognized that some States had security concerns with respect to their borders or demilitarized zones, but the urgency for negotiating such an agreement was clear. The representative for Canada, another co-sponsor, said land-mines must be placed in the historical dustbin, along with dum-dum bullets, poison gas and blinding lasers.

By the terms of another draft, the Assembly would repeat its request that the Conference on Disarmament should begin negotiating an international convention to prohibit the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. Still another text would have the Assembly reaffirm the urgent need to reach early agreement a legally binding international instrument on security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon States.

A draft resolution on expanding the Conference on Disarmament would have the Assembly call on that body to consider all remaining applications for membership, with a view to reaching a decision on its further enlargement before the end of its 1997 session. Another would have the Assembly again urge the States of South Asia to continue making all efforts to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in that region and to refrain in the meantime, from any action contrary to that objective.

The Assembly would invite all Member States to contribute to the Voluntary Trust Fund for the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme, under another draft resolution. By other texts, it would urge countries of the region that have not done so to ratify amendments to the 1967 Treaty for

the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco). It would decide to convene a fourth special session on disarmament in 1999, while deciding to convene a meeting of its Preparatory Committee before the end of the Assembly's current session.

By other draft resolutions, the Assembly would call upon the Russian Federation and the United States to strive for deep reductions in their nuclear armaments, in order to contribute to the elimination of nuclear weapons within a time-bound framework. It would call upon the five nuclear- weapon States and other States to support the idea of establishing a nuclear- weapon-free zone in Central Asia. It would also call on States to conclude agreements for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels.

By further draft texts, the Assembly would call on States of the Mediterranean region to address such regional problems and threats as those posed by terrorism, international crime and illicit arms transfers, as well as illicit drug production, consumption and trafficking. It would stress the importance of certain practical disarmament measures for consolidating peace and security in areas that had suffered from conflict, including the collection, control and disposal of arms, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, demining and conversion.

The international community would be urged to devote part of the resources made available by implementation of disarmament and arms limitation agreements to economic and social development, with a view to reducing the ever-widening gap between developed and developing countries, by one text. By another, the Assembly would invite the Conference on Disarmament to include environmental norms and provisions in negotiating agreements on disarmament and arms limitation. By still another draft resolution, it would reaffirm that effective measures should be taken to prevent the emergence of new types of weapons of mass destruction.

The Assembly would ask the Conference on Disarmament to consider the formulation of principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control, under another draft resolution. Under another, it would again state its conviction that participation in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean by all the permanent members of the Security Council and the Ocean's major maritime users would greatly facilitate dialogue to advance peace, security and stability there.

Under the sole draft decision introduced today, the Assembly would include on the provisional agenda of its 1997 session an item entitled, "Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security".

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Statements were made by the representatives for the United States, Croatia, Colombia (for the non-aligned States), Ireland, Belarus, Pakistan, Finland, Canada, Algeria, France, New Zealand, Germany, Mongolia, India, Mexico, Belgium and Sudan. The representatives for Morocco and Algeria spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

The First Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 6 November, to continue its consideration of draft resolutions on disarmament and international security matters.

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Committee Work Programme

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meets this morning to begin consideration of draft resolutions on disarmament and international security issues.

By a 16-Power draft resolution on expanding the membership of the Conference on Disarmament (document A/C.1/51/L.1/Rev.1), the General Assembly would recognize the legitimate aspirations of all countries that have applied for membership to participate fully in the work of the Conference. It would call upon that body to consider all remaining applications for membership, with a view to reaching a decision on its further enlargement before the end of its 1997 session.

The resolution is sponsored by Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Greece, Ireland, Kazakstan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Portugal, Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Tunisia.

A draft resolution on establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in south Asia (document A/C.1/51/L.6), sponsored by Bangladesh and Pakistan, would have the Assembly reaffirm its endorsement, in principle, of the concept of such a zone. The Assembly would once again urge the States of south Asia to continue making all efforts to establish the zone and to refrain, in the meantime, from any action contrary to that objective.

The Assembly would welcome the support of all five nuclear-weapon States for that proposal, and call upon them to extend the necessary cooperation in efforts to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in south Asia. It would ask the Secretary-General to communicate with the States of the region and other concerned States, in order to ascertain their views on the issue and to promote consultations among them on it.

Under an 11-Power draft resolution on the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme (document A/C.1/51/L.8), the Assembly would take note with concern of the Secretary-General's 19 July report on the Programme (document A/51/219). It would commend him for his efforts to make effective use of limited resources in disseminating information in arms limitation and distribute to governments, the media, non-governmental organizations, educational communities and research institutes, and in carrying out a seminar and conference programme. It would also invite all Member States to contribute to the Voluntary Trust Fund for the Programme. The Assembly would recommend that the Programme focus its efforts in a number of areas. They would include informing, educating and generating public understanding of and support for multilateral action in the field of arms limitation and disarmament, particularly through the continuing publication, in all official

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languages, of The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook and the Disarmament Review, as well as updating of the Status of Multilateral Arms Regulation and Disarmament Agreements. It would also be asked to facilitate exchange of information between the public sector and public interest groups and organizations, and to facilitate exchange of views and information between governmental and non-governmental sectors, as well as with other experts.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua and Pakistan.

By a 33-Power draft resolution on the Treaty of Tlatelolco (document A/C.1/51/L.9), the Assembly would welcome concrete steps by some countries of the region during the past year for the consolidation of the regime of military denuclearization established by the Treaty. It would also note with satisfaction the full adherence of Guyana to the Treaty, as of 6 May, and urge countries of the region that have not done so to ratify amendments to the Treaty approved by the General Conference of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean.

[The full name of that treaty is: 1967 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean.]

The draft resolution is sponsored by Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The Assembly also has before it four draft resolutions sponsored by Colombia on behalf of Member States which are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement. By one of these, on the fourth special session on Disarmament (document A/C.1/51/L.11), the Assembly would decide to convene that session in 1999. It would decide to convene a meeting of the Preparatory Committee for that session before the end of the Assembly's current session, to set an exact date and decide on organizational matters relating to the convening of the special session.

A second Non-Aligned text, on the relationship between disarmament and development (document A/C.1/51/L.12), would have the Assembly urge the international community to devote part of the resources made available by implementation of disarmament and arms limitation agreements to economic and social development, with a view to reducing the ever-widening gap between developed and developing countries.

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The Assembly would also invite all Member States to communicate to the Secretary-General, by 15 April 1997, their views and proposals for implementation of the action programme adopted at the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development. It would ask the Secretary-General to continue taking action, through appropriate organs and within available resources, for the implementation of that action programme.

A third Non-Aligned draft resolution, on implementation of the declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace (document A/C.1/51/L.13), would have the Assembly again state its conviction that the participation of all the permanent members of the Security Council and the major maritime users of the ocean in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean would greatly facilitate dialogue to advance peace, security and stability in the region. The Assembly would ask the Committee to hold a session of not more than three working days during 1997, and ask the Secretary-General to continue rendering all necessary assistance to the Committee, including the provision of summary records.

By a fourth Non-Aligned text, on environmental norms in disarmament and arms control agreements (document A/C.1/51/L.14), the Assembly would invite the Conference on Disarmament to take every necessary measure to include relevant environmental norms and provisions in negotiating treaties and agreements on disarmament and arms limitation. It would ask the Conference, in negotiating for a convention on the prohibition of radiological weapons, to take radioactive wastes into account as part of the scope of such a convention. It would express grave concern regarding any use of nuclear wastes that would constitute radiological warfare.

The Assembly would urge States parties to comply strictly with the provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Seabed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof. It would call on States possessing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction to become parties to that Treaty. It would call on all States, especially those with major space programmes, to contribute to the goal of using outer space for peaceful purposes and preserving the world's environment, as well as of preventing an outer space arms race.

In addition, the Assembly would further welcome measures taken by several countries to ensure compliance with the Antarctic Treaty. It would call on all States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and of Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention) to cooperate in preserving the environment in implementing the Convention. It would urge States parties to the Biological Weapons Convention to consider all relevant environmental norms in implementing that Convention. [The full name of that Convention is: the

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1972 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.]

The Assembly would also call upon States to adopt unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures to help ensure that the application of scientific and technological progress to disarmament and international security was without detriment to the environment and contributed to the attainment of sustainable development.

A 23-Power draft resolution on a convention to prohibit the use of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/51/L.19/Rev.1), would have the Assembly repeat that the Conference on Disarmament begin negotiations on an international convention to prohibit the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. It would use, as a possible basis for that text, a draft convention annexed to the draft resolution.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Sudan and Viet Nam.

The Committee also has before it two further texts sponsored by Colombia on behalf of Member States which are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement. By the first, a draft resolution sponsored on bilateral nuclear-arms negotiations and nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/51/L.21), the Assembly would call upon the Russian Federation and the United States to give the highest priority to intensifying efforts to achieve deep reductions in their nuclear armaments, in order to contribute to the elimination of nuclear weapons within a time-bound framework. It would invite them to keep the Conference on Disarmament informed of their progress in their discussions and urge them to make further efforts to bring the Treaty on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms into force at the earliest possible date.

The second Non-Aligned text is a draft decision (document A/C.1/51/L.22) by which the Assembly would include in the provisional agenda of its 1997 session an item entitled, "Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security".

By a draft resolution sponsored by the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia on establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia (document A/C.1/51/L.29), the Assembly would call upon the five nuclear-weapon States and other States to support the idea of establishing such a zone, and to refrain from any action contrary to the spirit of that objective. The

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Secretary-General would be asked to ascertain the views of the States of the region and other concerned States and promote consultations among them.

The Assembly would invite the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, as well as other relevant United Nations bodies, to render assistance which the Central Asian States may seek in studying the modalities of creating such a zone. It would also commend the steps taken so far by the regional States to eliminate the arsenals and infrastructure of nuclear weapons, as well as to declare their territories nuclear-weapon-free zones.

A 15-Power draft resolution on security assurances for non-nuclear- weapon States (document A/C.1/51/L.30) would have the Assembly reaffirm the urgent need to reach early agreement on such security arrangements. It would note with satisfaction that there was no objection in principle in the Conference on Disarmament to the idea of an international convention to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the threat or use of such weapons, although the difficulties of evolving an approach acceptable to all have also been pointed out.

The draft would have the Assembly appeal to all States, especially the nuclear-weapon States, to work towards early agreement on a common approach and common formula that could be included in a legally binding international instrument. It would recommend that further intensive efforts be devoted to the search for such an approach or formula. It would also recommend that the Conference should continue its intensive negotiations with a view to reaching early agreement and concluding effective international arrangements for such security assurances.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Colombia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Viet Nam.

By a 23-Power draft resolution on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/51/L.31), the Assembly would call on States to conclude agreements, wherever possible, for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence- building measures at the regional and subregional levels. It would stress the need for sustained efforts, within the framework of the Conference on Disarmament and under the umbrella of the United Nations, to make progress on the entire range of disarmament issues. It would also affirm that global and regional approaches to disarmament complemented each other and should, therefore, be pursued simultaneously.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Albania, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Mali, Nepal, New Zealand,

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Niger, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

Under a 32-Power draft resolution on strengthening security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (document A/C.1/51/L.33), the Assembly would call on all States of the region to adhere to all the multilaterally negotiated legal instruments for disarmament. It would also invite them to address such regional problems and threats as those posed by terrorism, international crime and illicit arms transfers, as well as illicit drug production, consumption and trafficking.

By other terms of the text, the Assembly would encourage those States to promote openness and transparency by participating in the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures, and by providing accurate data to the Register of Conventional Arms. It would also encourage them to strengthen their cooperation in combating all forms of terrorism, and would encourage widespread support for the convening of a conference on security and cooperation in the region. It would call for full adherence to the principles of non-interference, non-intervention, non-use of force or threat of force, and the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Libya, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom.

Another draft resolution deals with prohibiting the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction (document A/C.1/51/L.36). By its terms, the Assembly would call upon all States, immediately following any recommendations by the Conference, to give them favourable consideration. It would reaffirm that effective measures should be taken to prevent the emergence of new types of weapons of mass destruction, and ask the Conference to keep the matter under review, with a view to making recommendations on undertaking specific negotiations on identified types of such weapons.

The 34-Power text is sponsored by Afghanistan, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan, The former Yugloslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Viet Nam.

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By a 30-Power draft resolution on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (document A/C.1/51/L.38), the Assembly would stress the importance of certain practical disarmament measures for consolidating peace and security in areas that had suffered from conflict. Those measures would include the collection, control and disposal of arms, especially small arms and light weapons, coupled with restraint over the production and procurement as well as transfers of such arms, the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, demining and conversion.

The Assembly would ask the Secretary-General, in the light of experience gained from conflict-resolutions, to make recommendations and develop guidelines for an integrated approach to such practical disarmament measures. It would call upon Member States and regional bodies to contribute actively to the implementation of such practical measures.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Angola, Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Uruguay.

Another draft resolution, sponsored by Colombia on behalf of Member States which are members of the Non-Aligned Movement (document A/C.1/51/L.41), concerns measures to uphold the authority of the 1925 Geneva Protocol. By its terms, the Assembly would renew its call to all States to observe strictly the principles and objectives of the 1925 Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare. It would call on those States that continued to maintain reservations to the Protocol to withdraw those reservations.

By another draft resolution (document A/C.1/51/L.44), the Assembly would decide to give urgent consideration to conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels. It would ask the Conference on Disarmament, as a first step, to consider the formulation of principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control, and would look forward to a Conference report on that subject.

The seven-Power text is sponsored by Bangladesh, Benin, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

By an 84-Power draft resolution on an international agreement to ban anti-personnel land-mines (document A/C.1/51/L.46), the Assembly would urge States to pursue vigorously an effective, legally binding international agreement to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti- personnel land-mines, with a view to completing the negotiation as soon as possible. It would urge States that had not yet done so to accede to the Conventional on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain

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Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects and its amended Protocol II. It would also urge all States immediately to comply, to the fullest extent possible, with the applicable rules of that Protocol.

The Assembly would also call upon States that had not yet done so to declare and implement bans, moratoriums or other restrictions on anti- personnel land-mines, and particularly on their operational use and transfer, at the earliest possible date. The Secretary-General would be asked to report on steps taken to complete an international agreement banning those land- mines, and on other relevant steps taken by Member States. Member States would be asked to provide such information to the Secretary-General by 15 April 1997.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Palau, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions, Decisions

MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT (United States), introducing the draft resolution on an international agreement to ban anti-personnel land-mines (document A/C.1/51/L.46), said the goal was to conclude an agreement as soon as possible to remove that weapon from the world's arsenals. The United States was fully committed to that goal. It recognized that some countries had security concerns with respect to their borders or demilitarized zones, but the urgency of negotiating an agreement was clear. Ongoing mine-clearance activities must be accelerated. The United States would remain in the forefront of those efforts.

VLADIMIR DROBNJAK (Croatia) said that the draft on land-mines ban was a step in the right direction. An ad hoc committee should immediately be established in the Conference on Disarmament to begin work on such an

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agreement. In the meantime, all States should establish moratoriums banning those weapons. Croatia had actively participated in the discussions leading to the amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. On a national level, it had already proclaimed a unilateral moratorium on the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel land-mines. Croatia called on all States to support the draft.

ANDELFO J. GARCIA (Colombia), speaking on behalf of the Member States which are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement, introduced the draft resolutions on the fourth special session disarmament (L.11), the relationship between disarmament and development (L.12), and bilateral nuclear-arms negotiations and nuclear disarmament (L.21), as well as the draft decision on the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security (L.22) and the draft resolution on upholding the authority of the 1925 Geneva Protocol (L.41).

The importance of convening the fourth special session could not be over-emphasized, he said. The last such special session was more than eight years ago, and a reassessment of disarmament issues was needed. The text on the relationship between disarmament and development was the same as last year's, but included a new operative paragraph, by which the Assembly would invite all Member States to communicate their views on implementing the action programme of the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development. The draft on bilateral nuclear-arms negotiations and nuclear disarmament reflected the profound transition in international relations and the resulting shifts in perceptions and attitudes towards nuclear disarmament.

DARRACH MacFHIONNBHAIRR (Ireland) introduced the draft resolution on expanding the membership of the Conference on Disarmament (L.1/Rev.1). The Assembly's first special session on disarmament had called for consideration of expanding the membership of the Conference. It had taken 15 years for a decision to be taken which resulted in the addition of 23 new members this year. The decision as to which States might or might not contribute to the process of multilateral disarmament could not be the sole reserve of any particular set of countries.

At its 1996 session, the Conference had been unable to agree on appointment of a special coordinator on expansion of its membership. It was regrettable that the Conference had not attached sufficient importance to the call for such a coordinator by the applicant States -- in whose names the current resolution was being tabled. The sponsors of the current text recommended that it be approved by consensus, he said.

ALEG LAPTSENAK (Belarus, introduced the draft resolution on prohibiting new weapons of mass destruction (L.36). He said it was a unique example of

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preventive diplomacy. The draft was non-confrontational, represented various groups and regions, and did not burden Member States with any financial implications.

MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan) introduced four draft resolutions. The first, on establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in south Asia, reaffirmed the international community's support for such a zone. The second (L.30) called for international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. With some 60,000 nuclear weapons still in the world, the non-nuclear-weapon States sought unconditional and legally binding assurances. Of the nuclear-weapon States, only China had so far given such assurances.

He said the draft resolution on regional disarmament (L.31) grew out of the fact that most recent wars had been regional in nature. It sought to build on the increasing international consensus that global measures must be complemented by steps at the regional level. The draft resolution on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels (L.44) aimed at promoting the security of States at the lowest possible level of armament.

IIVO SALMI (Finland) said his country supported the draft resolution on anti-personnel land-mines and was committed to working towards an effective international agreement to ban those weapons at the earliest possible date. The very nature of the problem called for a global approach. A credible ban could only be achieved if the security aspects relating to it were addressed. Such a ban should be negotiated at the Conference on Disarmament, where a treaty could be completed within a couple of years. Finland's goal was to have an ad hoc committee established with a negotiating mandate at the earliest possible date.

ROBERT R. FOWLER (Canada) said the draft resolution on anti-personnel land-mines represented an historic turning point in the efforts to find a permanent solution to the global crisis they represented. The only way of halting the blind killing they caused was a total ban on their production, stockpiling, transfer and use. The current groundbreaking text also called on States to take immediate and unilateral steps to halt the international trade and use of such mines. Land-mines must be placed in the historical dustbin, along with dumdum bullets, poison gas and blinding lasers.

ABDELKADER MESDOUA (Algeria) introduced the draft resolution on the strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (L.33). He said the increased number of its co-sponsors perfectly illustrated the thinking of the peoples of the region, as well as of the entire membership of the European Union, on proposals to restore the Mediterranean to its ancient vocation as a "sea of peace". The co-sponsors were confident that the Committee would unanimously support the draft.

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JOELLE BOURGOIS (France) expressed support for the draft on the banning of anti-personnel land-mines and welcomed the United States' commitment to that effort. France, too, had been active in that process. On 2 October, it became the first permanent member of the Security Council to renounce the manufacture, export and use of anti-personnel land-mines. That step applied to all categories of anti-personnel land-mines. The current draft should also specified that the Conference on Disarmament was the appropriate forum for negotiating such a land-mines ban.

PETER RIDER (New Zealand) expressed strong support for the land-mines text of which his country was a co-sponsor. Its call for negotiations on a legally binding agreement was a significant step forward from similar resolutions taken in previous years and reflected the growing consensus on achieving such a ban. This year, his country had decided not to export any anti-personnel land-mines; the draft urged other States to do the same. New Zealand's experience with mine-infested countries had convinced it that only a total ban would prevent the creation of further misery through their indiscriminate use. The draft provided an excellent basis for negotiating a global ban.

WOLFGANG HOFFMAN (Germany) introduced the draft on practical disarmament measures (L.38), saying that it was aimed at meeting the concerns of many Member States from both the North and South. It also sought to give added momentum to the consolidation of peace in areas which had suffered conflict. The control of small arms and light weapons was one aspect of an issue that might also include confidence-building measures and the re-entry of combatants into civilian life. The draft underlined the relevance of the whole range of those aspects in an integrated approach for peace in areas that had suffered from conflict. The draft had no financial implications and was aimed at consensus.

JARGALSAIKHANY ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia), introducing the draft resolution on establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia (document L.29) said its sponsors had been given to understand that further time was needed to allow some States to study it more carefully. They would not insist on its consideration at the current session. He also announced that his country had decided to join in sponsoring the text on anti-personnel land-mines.

ARUNDHATI GOSHE (India) introduced the draft resolution on security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States (L.19/Rev.1). She said that goal had remained elusive, owing to the negative approach of the nuclear-weapon States and States under their protection. Today's draft, and the possible draft Convention annexed to it, was given relevance by the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed that there existed in international humanitarian law a prohibition against the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The draft also incorporated the World Court's unanimous

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opinion that the nuclear-weapon States were obliged to pursue good-faith negotiations towards total nuclear disarmament.

ANTONIO DE ICAZA (Mexico) introduced the draft resolution on the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme (L.8). He said the fellowship training programme for young diplomats had made it possible to raise the level of participation among delegations of developing countries in such forums as the Conference on Disarmament and the General Assembly. The draft noted with deep concern the Secretary-General's report, which stated that fewer activities were planned by the Programme owing to serious financial limitations.

He also introduced the draft resolution on the Treaty of Tlatelolco (L.9), which reflected the priority that the Governments of Latin America and the Caribbean attached to a regime which began its life some 30 years ago. The Treaty was now fully in force in 31 regional States.

ANDRE MERNIER (Belgium) said the only answer to the problem of anti- personnel land-mines was a total ban on their manufacture and use. The destruction of stocks in the near future was also required. His country had banned anti-personnel mines under legislation which contained no escape clauses. The destruction of such stocks in Belgium's army had begun and would conclude shortly.

The initiative taken by Canada for the recent Ottawa Conference was welcome, he said. Belgium would organize a follow-up conference in June 1997, where States were urgently invited to lay down the basis for a treaty. While it was necessary to live with the fact that all States were not ready to ban land-mines, a norm in international law could serve as a point of reference and moral objective. However, the possibility of concluding such a treaty in the Conference on Disarmament was scant; a different forum was needed.

TARIK ALI BAKHIET (Sudan) also expressed support for the draft resolution on anti-personnel land-mines. He said the Sudan had suffered from the effects of more than a million mines laid on its territory. It appealed to the international community to assume its responsibility to address the problems generated by that scourge.

Right of Reply

MOHAMED AMAR (Morocco), speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said that on 24 October the representative of Zambia had asserted that Western Sahara was still under foreign occupation. The actual situation was that in October 1975, at Morocco's request, the World Court had acknowledged in an advisory opinion that the territory formerly occupied by Spain was not terra nullius, [lit., nobody's land], and that there had existed between Sahara and

First Committee - 16 - Press Release GA/DIS/3064 14th Meeting (AM) 4 November 1996

the Kingdom of Morocco legal ties and ties of allegiance. That was how sovereignty had been defined and continued to be defined in Muslim and Moroccan law. On 14 November 1975, the Sahara had been ceded back to Morocco by an accord officially deposited with the United Nations.

Despite problems inherited from the colonial period, Morocco had always worked peacefully for the step-by-step recovery of its territorial sovereignty, he said. It had provided proof of its desire to solve the problem peacefully, giving complete support to the Secretary-General's efforts to organize referendum in the territory. It had been involved in all stages of a plan that was accepted by all parties and endorsed by the Security Council. Its efforts had been acknowledged and confirmed by all concerned

Mr. MESDOUA (Algeria) said that, once again, the representative of Morocco was failing to make use of the appropriate forum. The stalemate in the Security Council over the question of Western Sahara was recognized by everyone. The First Committee was not the place to discuss the issue. It was for the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) and the Security Council to provide further explanations and clarifications on that matter.

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