FIVE DRAFT RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED IN DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE

Press Release
GA/DIS/3092

FIVE DRAFT RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED IN DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE

The General Assembly would reaffirm the urgent need to reach agreement on assurances to non-nuclear States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, according to one of five draft resolutions introduced this morning in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).

In introducing the text on such assurances, the representative of Pakistan said that those non-nuclear States that were not under military alliances, which included the entire membership of the Non-Aligned Movement, were justified in being gravely concerned about the existence and threat of nuclear weapons. It was unjust and unwise to limit assurances to States that were party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Further, the non-nuclear-weapon States should not have to prove their credentials by signing that Treaty, in order to receive those assurances.

By the terms of a 48-Power draft, introduced by the representative of Sweden, the Assembly would urgently call upon all States to become parties to 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, and to its Protocols as soon as possible, particularly to the amended Protocol on the Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices.

Another draft resolution text would have the Assembly call upon all States of the Mediterranean region to adhere to all the multilaterally negotiated legal instruments related to disarmament and non-proliferation, thereby creating the necessary conditions for strengthening peace and cooperation in the region.

In introducing that draft, the representative of Algeria said it did not differ fundamentally from previous drafts on the subject. However, the representative of Israel expressed disappointment over the deletion of a paragraph concerning the Middle East peace process. While the deletion did not change reality, it sent a clear signal of the Committee's negative attitude towards those positive developments, he said.

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By another text introduced by the representative of Colombia, the Assembly would reaffirm the role of the Disarmament Commission as the specialized, deliberative body within the United Nations multilateral disarmament machinery that allowed for in-depth deliberations on specific disarmament issues, leading to the submission of concrete recommendations.

Still another text would have the Assembly call upon all Member States to report annually, by 30 April, to the Secretary-General their military expenditures for the latest fiscal year. It would also call upon them to provide him with their views on ways and means to strengthen and broaden participation in the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of such expenditures. The representative of Germany introduced the draft.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Sweden, Netherlands, Colombia, Germany and Romania.

The First Committee will meet again at 3 p.m., Thursday, 6 November, to continue the introduction of draft resolutions on disarmament and international security matters.

Committee Work Programme

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to begin introducing draft resolutions and decisions on disarmament and international security matters.

By the terms of a 48-Power draft resolution on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (document A/C.1/52/L.22), the Assembly would urgently call upon all States to become parties to the Convention and it Protocols as soon as possible, particularly to amended Protocol II (the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices.) It would call upon, in particular, the States parties to the Convention to agree to be bound by the amended Protocol II, with a view to its earliest entry into force, and pending its entry into force to ensure respect for its substantive provisions to the fullest extent possible.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay.

[The full name of the treaty mentioned above is 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.]

A draft on assurances to non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/52/L.41) would have the Assembly reaffirm the urgent need to reach an early agreement on effective international arrangements on such assurances. It would appeal to all States, especially the nuclear-weapon States, to work actively towards an early agreement on a common approach and, in particular, on a common formula that could be included in an international instrument of a legally binding character.

The Assembly would recommend that further intensive efforts be devoted to the search for such a common approach and that various alternative approaches, particularly those considered in the Conference on Disarmament, be further explored. It would also recommend that the Conference actively continue intensive negotiations with a view to concluding effective international arrangements on the issue.

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

Under a text on strengthening security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (document A/C.1/52/L.36), the Assembly would call upon all States of the region to adhere to all the multilaterally negotiated legal instruments related to disarmament and non-proliferation, thus creating the necessary conditions for strengthening peace and cooperation in the region.

The Assembly would encourage those States to build confidence among themselves by promoting genuine openness and transparency on all military matters by participating in, among other things, the United Nations system for standardized reporting of military expenditures and by providing accurate data to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms.

It would also encourage the Mediterranean countries to further strengthen their cooperation in combating terrorism, which posed a serious threat to regional peace, security and stability and therefore to the improvement of the current political, economic and social situation.

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, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

A draft resolution on the Report of the Disarmament Commission (A/C.1/52/L.21) would have the Assembly recommend the adoption of the following items for consideration at the Disarmament Commission's 1998 substantive session: the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones; the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament; and guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament.

The Assembly would reaffirm the role of the Commission as the specialized, deliberative body within the United Nations multilateral disarmament machinery that allowed for in-depth deliberations on specific disarmament issues, leading to the submission of concrete recommendations on those issues.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Algeria, Australia, Belarus, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Romania and Viet Nam.

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By a text on objective information on military matters, including transparency of military expenditures (document A/C.1/52/L.31), the Assembly would call upon all Member States to report annually, by 30 April, to the Secretary-General their military expenditures for the latest fiscal year. It would also call upon them to provide the Secretary-General with their views on ways and means to strengthen and broaden participation in the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of such expenditures, including necessary changes to its content and structure.

The Assembly would recommend that all Member States implement the guidelines and recommendations for objective information on military matters, fully taking into account specific political, military and other conditions prevailing in a region.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions, Decisions

JOHAN NORDENFELT (Sweden), introducing the draft resolution on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (document A/C.1/152/L.22), said the 1980 Convention and its protocols constituted an essential and integral part of international law applicable to armed conflict. Their purpose was to place constraints on the conduct of war by restricting the use of certain conventional weapons. When fully implemented, its rules would sharply limit or eliminate the risks to civilians and non-combatants.

The Convention offered a framework for global negotiations to gradually refine and extend the areas covered by it, he said. In May of last year Protocol II, on mines, had been considerably strengthened, and a new Protocol banning blinding laser weapons had been adopted. It was important for the global process to continue. The draft resolution was intended to promote the further universalization of that important body of humanitarian law.

F.A.M. MAJOOR (Netherlands) concerning the draft just introduced on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, drew attention to a new Protocol on blinding laser weapons and to a strengthened Protocol on landmines. Unfortunately, he said, 14 years after the Convention's entry into force, only 70 some States had become party to that Convention. He supported the call in the draft calling on States that had not yet done so, to become parties to the Convention. Early entry into force of those Protocols remained a priority. His Government intended to sign the Convention banning anti-personnel mines

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agreed to in Oslo, because it went considerably further than the rules contained in amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan) introduced the draft resolution on assurances for non-nuclear States against the threat of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/52/L.41). He said that during the cold war, the Conference on Disarmament could not reach a formula for unconditional assurances to non- nuclear States against the use of nuclear weapons. Four of the five nuclear- weapon States had offered only partial assurances. Only China offered unconditional assurances to non-nuclear States.

It had been expected that after the end of the cold war, the nuclear- weapon States would no longer rely on nuclear deterrence, he said. However, they had reinforced their reliance on such weapons. Some nuclear-weapon States had openly said they would maintain their nuclear weapons indefinitely against uncertain threats and contingencies. Their use was clearly envisaged against non-nuclear States, even those that were party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Under such circumstances, those non-nuclear States that were not under military alliances -- the entire membership of the Non-Aligned Movement -- were justified in being gravely concerned about the existence of nuclear weapons and the threat of their use, he said. The draft resolution reiterated the call for binding assurances against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

The objective enjoyed widespread support, he said. It would be a major step in the international community's endeavours to create a nuclear-weapon- free world. It would also be a major confidence-building measure. It would facilitate disarmament by establishing legal norms and it would facilitate agreement on the non-first use of nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately, the Conference on Disarmament had been unable to reach agreement on negative assurances this year, he said. It was unjust and unwise to limit assurances to States that were party to the NPT. It should not be the obligation of the non-nuclear-weapon States to prove their credentials by signing on to the NPT, in order to receive such assurances. He and the other co-sponsors of the resolution hoped that the Conference would establish next year an ad hoc committee on negative assurances.

ABDELKADER MESDOUA (Algeria) introduced the draft on strengthening security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (document A/C.1/52/L.36). The text reflected the support and determination shared by the States of the region and the European States to turn that region into a zone of peace, security and cooperation, thereby making the Mediterranean "a lake of peace", he said. The current draft was intended to be a more concise and less

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repetitious version of last year's text, while focusing more on the cooperations aspects of security in the region. However, it did not fundamentally differ from similar resolutions adopted in previous years. The co-sponsors were confident that the draft would enjoy the support of all Committee members.

ANDELFO GARCIA GONZALEZ (Colombia) introduced the draft text on the report of the Disarmament Commission (document A/C.1/52/L.21) and said he hoped that it would be adopted without a vote.

DAVID DANIELI (Israel) referring to the introduction of the draft concerning security in the Mediterranean region, said that it addressed itself to an important issue to which Israel attached a great value. It contained very positive provisions with a view to enhancing security and promoting regional economic and social development and cooperation. It also recognized the ability of all States to contemplate stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region, and it recognized that security in that region was closely linked to security in Europe. The Barcelona process was a means not only to strengthen such cooperation and understanding, but a means to promote conflict resolution, peace and dialogue among the countries of that region.

He said he was disappointed that the draft's co-sponsors elected to delete the paragraph noting the peace process in the Middle East. His Government failed to see the logic behind the consistent and persistent policy to erase any reference to the Middle East peace process. Rather, the Committee wished to insert provisions that advocated hostility among the parties. The peace treaties and agreements between the countries of the Middle East represented a political breakthrough that affected not only the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, but well beyond. Deletions of the paragraphs would not change realities, but they did send a clear signal of the Committee's negative attitude towards those positive developments. Such a signal was a step backward.

GUNTHER SEIBERT (Germany) introduced the draft resolution on transparency of military expenditures (document A/C.1/52/L.31). He said the United Nations reporting system on military expenditures was designed to promote transparency on a global level and complemented the Register of Conventional Arms. It gave a more general overview on national defence policies, including national spending on operating costs, procurement and construction, as well as research and development.

He said transparency in military matters could contribute to confidence- building among States and was a valuable means to reducing misunderstandings. The valuable potential of the standardized reporting system on military expenditures had been acknowledged repeatedly by all Member States. However, lack of participation in annual reporting continued to be disappointing, and the lack of replies remained a concern.

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ION GORITA (Romania) commented on the draft on objective information on military matters, saying that mutual confidence was essential for peace and stability. Confidence-building measures would help to prevent misunderstandings that could lead to military conflict. The open exchange of information could reduce the risk of military confrontation and could also help States reduce their military budgets. The United Nations reporting system on military expenditures contributed to greater stability. Unfortunately, participation was low. He shared the concern about the lack of participation, and called on all States to report their military expenditures.

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