DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE HEARS FURTHER CALLS FOR LAND-MINE BAN
Press Release
DCF/295
DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE HEARS FURTHER CALLS FOR LAND-MINE BAN
19970401 GENEVA, 27 March (UN Information Service) -- Finland, Chile and Poland proposed this morning that the Conference on Disarmament begin discussing the most appropriate arrangements to deal with the question of anti-personnel land mines.According to the proposal, the Conference, which is still to adopt a work programme two months into its 1997 session, would appoint a "special coordinator" to conduct consultations on how the issue is to be handled. The special coordinator would present a report to the Conference before the end of May.
Introducing the proposal, the representative of Finland said the fact that it had been made by three countries representing three different geographical groups underlined the importance many countries around the world attached to a ban on anti-personnel land-mines.
The representative of Germany also expressed support for a land-mine ban, announcing the holding of a meeting of experts to be held in Bonn in April to discuss verification of a proposed treaty. Meanwhile, the representative of Canada said the country's Foreign Minister would address the diplomatic corps in Ottawa today to renew the invitation he had extended to all countries last October to join him in Ottawa in December to sign a comprehensive treaty banning the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines.
This morning's meeting was the last of the first part of the 1997 session. Before adjourning until May, Conference President Grigori Berdennikov said consultations were continuing on a proposal made last week by Iran for the Conference to establish committees to deal with arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use of nuclear weapons and transparency in armaments; and to appoint special coordinators to seek the views of members on how to proceed with work on the issues of nuclear disarmament and a comprehensive programme of disarmament. Iran suggested this morning that open-ended presidential consultations be held at the beginning of the second part of the session on its proposal. The President requested regional group coordinators to communicate their views on the proposal at the next round of presidential consultations on 14 May.
Also this morning, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates were admitted as observers to the Conference.
- 2 - Press Release DCF/295 1 April 1997
Statements
KLAUS ACHENBACH (Germany) said it was high time the Conference reached consensus on a programme of work. Germany had already stated its priorities: the immediate start of negotiations on a fissile material "cut-off" and on an effective, legally-binding international agreement to ban anti-personnel land- mines. He informed the Conference that on 24 and 25 April, an international meeting of experts would be held in Bonn on the possible verification of a comprehensive international treaty banning anti-personnel mines. Discussions at another international meeting of experts, held in Vienna last February, had revealed that the issue of verification needed further detailed attention. A discussion of other aspects of the proposed treaty, or of matters such as what should be the negotiating forum, was not envisaged for the Bonn meeting.
MARKKU REIMAA (Finland) submitted a proposal from Chile, Poland and Finland to appoint a special coordinator to conduct consultations on the most appropriate arrangements to deal with the question of anti-personnel land- mines under the agenda item on "transparency in armaments". The special coordinator would present a report to the Conference before the end of May. The fact that the proposal had been made by three countries representing different geographical regions underlined the importance many countries around the world attached to a ban on anti-personnel land-mines.
The representative of Canada said Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy would address the diplomatic corps in Ottawa today to renew the invitation he had extended to all countries last October to join him in Ottawa in December to sign a comprehensive treaty banning the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines.
JORGE BERGUÑO (Chile) said the proposal submitted by Finland on behalf of Poland and Chile put a challenge before the Conference: either it decided it could deal with the question or let another process take over. Iran's proposal -- to establish ad hoc committees on some issues and appoint special coordinators on others -- was similarly aimed at getting substantive work in the Conference started. From that perspective, Iran's proposal deserved not only attention, but support, even if it did not address all the issues that different delegations wished to deal with.
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