DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA CALLS FOR SECURITY ASSURANCES FROM UNITED STATES ON THREAT OR USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

8 April 1998

Press Release
DC/2602

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA CALLS FOR SECURITY ASSURANCES FROM UNITED STATES ON THREAT OR USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

19980408 Calls for United Nations Action to End Confrontational Relations in Korean Peninsula

If the Korean peninsula was to be denuclearized, the United States should give legal assurances that it would not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, its representative said this morning, as the Disarmament Commission continued its general exchange of views.

The United States commitment to providing a "nuclear umbrella" to the Republic of Korea was of serious concern to his country and had compelled it to bear the heavy burden of an arms race against its will, the representative said. He called on the United Nations to take steps to end the cold war, confrontational relations in the Korean peninsula.

Also this morning, the representative of the Republic of Korea welcomed the progress made towards the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, which enhanced both regional and global peace and security. He said they were effective and indispensable in promoting nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building at the regional level.

Nevertheless, such zones should not undermine the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence, he said. Prior consensus should be reached among the countries concerned, including any nuclear-weapon States, in their establishment. The specific characteristics of the region should also be taken into account, including its security situation and the existence of any regional security mechanisms.

The representative of Syria said his country was deeply concerned about obstacles presented by Israel to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, specifically through its refusal to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). He said the international community should call on Israel to renounce nuclear weapons, take steps to put its nuclear installations under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and accede to the NPT.

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The creation of nuclear-weapon-free zones represented the optimal way of obtaining security assurances, and some 100 non-nuclear-weapon States had already received such legally binding assurances, the representative of the Russian Federation said. However, nuclear disarmament was only possible through a gradual, staged progression, while maintaining strategic stability. Multilateral disarmament proposals which included specific time-frames were removed from reality, he said.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Mexico, China, Algeria, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania.

In other business, the Commission, acting by acclamation, elected five additional Vice-Chairmen, thus completing its Bureau. They are: Abdelkader Mesdoua (Algeria); Leslie Mbangambi Gumbi (South Africa); Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi (Iran); Khalil Abou-Hadid (Syria); and Arsene H. Millim (Luxembourg).

It also elected Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat (Indonesia) as Chairman of its working group on a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, and Matia Mulumba Semakula Kiwanuka (Uganda) as Chairman of its working group on guidelines for conventional arms control.

The Disarmament Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its general exchange of views.

Commission Work Programme

The Disarmament Commission met this morning to continue its general exchange of views. During its current session, the Commission will consider three key issues: the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones; a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament; and guidelines on conventional arms control, limitation and disarmament. (For background, see Press Release DC/2600 of 6 April.)

Statements

MYUNG CHUL HAHM (Republic of Korea) said that internationally recognized nuclear-weapon-free zones were effective and indispensable instrument for promoting nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building at the regional level. They were valuable in enhancing but regional and global peace and security. The Republic of Korea welcomed the solid progress made over the years towards the establishment of such zones.

A number of factors were important in the establishment of nuclear- weapon-free zones. Prior consensus should be reached among the countries concerned, including any nuclear-weapon States. Consideration should be given to the relevant specific characteristics of the region in question, including its security situation and the existence of any regional security mechanisms. The principles of international law, including that of free navigation on the high seas, should be respected.

In the creation of such zones, the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter, should not be undermined, he went on to say. There should also be a clear definition of what constitutes a "geographical entity". In addition, an appropriate verification mechanism should be provided, including the application of full- scope International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards to all peaceful nuclear facilities in the zone.

He said the fourth special session of the General Assembly on disarmament should address all aspects of disarmament in a balanced manner, giving equal attention to weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons. The international community must be flexible in encompassing issues and avoid excluding them in order to reach consensus. Serious attention should be given to newly emerging issues, such as new weapons systems arising from scientific advances. That applied, in particular, to information technology and to the transfer of sensitive technology.

The Republic of Korea supported last year's consensus agreement on guidelines on conventional arms control, limitation and disarmament, which had stressed the consideration of peace in post-conflict situations, he said. There should be a clear definition of conflict. The relevant experience

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gained by the United Nations and other international organizations should be emphasized in the process of formulating guidelines.

GUSTAVO ALBIN (Mexico) said that in elaborating additional nuclear- weapon-free zone treaties, particular attention should be given to identifying the common elements in existing treaties, which could provide a framework for future similar legal instruments. Particular emphasis should be given to the objectives, rights and obligations of the parties concerned, as well as to the verification machinery and requirements for entry into force.

The machinery for cooperation among the agencies and executive bodies of existing treaties should also be strengthened, he said. Provisions on security assurances by nuclear-weapon States to members of non-nuclear-weapon zones should be harmonized. The example set by the Treaty of Tlatelolco over the past 30 years was useful to other regions. Mexico would continue to promote similar instruments, such as the one being considered in Central Asia.

In preparing guidelines on conventional arms control, account should be taken of the Secretary-General's report on the matter, as well as of General Assembly resolution 53/38 G, he said. The adoption of the Inter-American Convention on the Illicit Manufacture and Traffic of Firearms, Munitions, Explosives and Other Related Material within the Context of the Organization of American States (document A/53/78) was particularly gratifying, as it provided useful input for the preparation of guidelines on regional conventional arms control measures.

He said that the adoption by consensus of a resolution on the fourth special session on disarmament highlighted the determination of its co- sponsors to find a common understanding, with a view to convening that session. The support of nuclear-weapon States for that initiative had been gratifying. It should not be too complicated to reach consensus on the objectives and agenda of such a session, given the shared concern about the threat of nuclear weapons. However, doctrines based upon nuclear deterrence persisted on the brink of the new century. The international community should prepare a new disarmament agenda in accordance with agreements, as well as with the historic opinion of the International Court of Justice on the illegality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons.

LI CHANGHE (China) said hegemony and power politics were still hampering the establishment of a fair and rational new world order. The international community needed to cultivate new security concepts and to seek new ways to maintain peace by summoning up past experience and lessons to prepare for future opportunities and challenges. Facts had shown that the security concepts and regime of the cold war era, based on military alliances with escalating arms build-ups, were incapable of making genuine peace.

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He said that all countries should abide by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, as well as by the five principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non- interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence. That was the political basis and prerequisite for international security. Every country was entitled to choose the path of its development in the light of its own national conditions. No country should interfere in the internal affairs of other countries under any pretext, nor should any country or group of countries seek absolute security by compromising the security of others.

To secure the economic basis of security, all countries should act on the basis of equality and mutual benefit to strengthen economic and trade ties and promote scientific and technological cooperation, so as to narrow the development gap between countries and achieve common prosperity, he said. As a practical way to maintain global peace and security, all countries should enhance consultation and cooperation in the field of security, mutual understanding and trust, and seek to settle their differences and disputes through peaceful means.

He said it was necessary to convene the fourth special session on disarmament to review the past and look into the future, with a view to formulating objectives and principles for international arms control and disarmament in the next century. The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones should be in line with the purposes and the principles of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law. The deliberations on guidelines for conventional arms control, limitation and disarmament should focus on practical arms control and disarmament measures, so as to consolidate peace in regions that had suffered from conflicts.

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said that a doctrine of collective security, originating with the United Nations Charter, must address the rivalry between nuclear Powers and the invalid policies based on a balance of terror. A true culture of security would mobilize the energy and resources so long taken up by the arms race and use them to protect and promote human rights, including the fundamental right to life. Such a doctrine would have as its objective the establishment of peace and international security throughout the world, not just in a few regions deemed to be more worthy than others. Disarmament, international security and economic and social development were inseparable. Algeria favoured complete and general disarmament. Last February, it ratified the Pelindaba Treaty, becoming the third African State to have done so.

The sphere of denuclearized zones was growing and now included more than 110 States, he said. The Almaty declaration towards a nuclear-weapon-free Central Asia had set a new landmark. Hopefully, the turbulent Middle East region would also become nuclear-weapon free and eliminate the spectre of

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nuclear disaster there. Nuclear disarmament must remain the highest priority on the disarmament agenda, to be pursued both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States against the threat or use of such weapons must be strengthened and formulated in a legal binding instrument, he said. The disarmament dynamic must also encompass the important question of the illicit transfers of conventional weapons, which fed and exacerbated new violence and such transboundary phenomenon as terrorism and drug trafficking. The international community should focus on the elaboration of guidelines for the control of conventional weapons, whose illicit trafficking nourished terrorist networks. Serious and effective measures must be adopted to cope with the free circulation of such arms.

The adoption by consensus last year of a resolution on the convening of a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament had provided new hope, he said. It was hoped that the long-expected agreement on the dates and agenda for the session would be achieved, so the global community might objectively evaluate past achievements and prepare the ground for a more secure world.

CELSO L.N. AMORIM (Brazil) said the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the illegality of the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons embodied a growing awareness that such barbaric devices were losing whatever pretence of legitimacy they might have had in the past. Once regarded as the cornerstones of major security alliances and the symbols of great power, nuclear weapons were becoming no more than an expensive and dangerous nuisance.

Several realistic proposals for the progressive elimination of nuclear weapons had been presented, he said. However worrisome signs indicated that the conceptual reliance on the maintenance of nuclear arsenals persisted in some countries. Despite the commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) by the five nuclear Powers, computer-aided modelling of nuclear explosions and the perfecting of atomic explosive devices continued. Such actions might rekindle the desire to acquire nuclear weapons by non-nuclear- weapon States.

The multilateral disarmament machinery was in crisis, he said. The most recent unqualified success in multilateral disarmament had been the Chemical Weapons Convention, which dated back five years. After decades of international mobilization, it became necessary for the CTBT to circumvent the consensus rule of the Conference on Disarmament in order to be adopted, and a cumbersome entry-into-force clause might delay indefinitely its legal consolidation. In addition, the negotiations on an anti-personnel mines treaty had taken place outside the Conference, even though it was endorsed by the General Assembly.

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Member States should be able to resort to a universal machinery to express shared values in the disarmament sphere, he said. However, the Conference on Disarmament had been plagued by stonewalling which rendered it incapable of doing any substantive work. For the first time since the end of the cold war, there was no major disarmament treaty in the pipeline. If the start of tangible work in nuclear disarmament by the Conference was further delayed, the five nuclear-weapon States might consider concluding among themselves an agreement on the cut-off of fissile material production and submit their enrichment and reprocessing facilities to the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Commission's discussion of conventional arms control would involve such issues as post-conflict peace-building, the restoration of war-torn societies and criminal law as a control tool for small weapons. The Inter- American Convention, signed last November by the members of the Organization of American States (OAS), was a particularly important initiative in the conventional weapons sphere. It provided a regional approach to the problem, which could serve as a model for the international community of a more flexible and effective approach.

ANA MARIA RAMIREZ (Argentina) expressed pleasure at the ratification of the Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty by the United Kingdom and France. They were the first nuclear-weapon States to do so. The world was witnessing a lot of encouraging developments; the world had changed, and there was need for an overview of collective security. Such an overview should include such elements as confidence-building measures, transparency, multilateral approach to problems and international cooperation. An increasing number of States were beginning to realize the importance of the establishment of the nuclear- weapon-free zones. Argentina would continue to promote dialogue and cooperation with other Member States to that end.

The international community should try to reach consensus on the objectives of the fourth special session of the Assembly on disarmament, she said. A new agenda must be designed and it must be geared towards the future. The world should move forward to consolidate peace. It must continue to make progress in a tangible way on the basis of what had already be agreed upon. It must avoid overlap with respect to the various bodies involved in disarmament. An integrated approach was needed.

KIM CHANG GUK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said priority should be given to nuclear disarmament. Efforts should aim at the complete abolition of nuclear weapons and the denuclearization of the entire world. The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones represented an essential means for realizing that aim. The Commission should intensify its deliberations on the drafting of universal guidelines for the establishment of nuclear-weapon- free zones. The obligations of the parties in the region concerned should be

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clearly defined. Nuclear-weapon States should be obliged to provide support and legal assurances for the nuclear-weapon-free zones.

The Korean peninsula remained the most tense hot spot, and its denuclearization was much more urgent than that of others, he said. His country had made sincere efforts to that end. However, the prospects for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula remained uncertain, and the issue of legal assurances by nuclear-weapon States had been completely disregarded. If the Korean peninsula was to be denuclearized, the United States, which was a party directly responsible for peace and stability on the peninsula, should give legal assurances that it would not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against his country. It should rescind its commitment to provide a nuclear umbrella to South Korea, as it had pledged in its June 1993 Joint Statement with his country in their Agreed Framework, which was concluded in Geneva in October 1994.

Although the United States has pledged its support for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, it was unwilling to take any legal steps to that end, he said. That was a fundamental reason why the North-South joint declaration on denuclearization of the peninsula, signed in December 1991, had not been implemented. The United States' reluctance to renounce its commitment of providing a nuclear umbrella to South Korea and to give assurances of non-use to his country was motivated by a policy of maintaining the confrontational structure of the cold-war era on the peninsula.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which had serious concerns for its security because of the constant military threat by the United States, had been compelled to bear the heavy burden of an arms race against its will, he said. The United Nations must take appropriate measures to end the cold war era, confrontational relations in the Korean peninsula.

ANDREI GRANOVSKY (Russian Federation) said his country advocated the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones in various regions of the world, in order to narrow the geographical sphere of nuclear weapons and strengthen the non-proliferation regime. The creation of such zones represented the optimal way of obtaining security assurances. To date, some 100 non-nuclear-weapon States had received such guarantees, in that manner, with legally binding force.

He said that questions linked to the proposal for holding a fourth special session required careful thought, leading to a meaningful document based on today's realities. The main task of the session should not be to impose specific timebound disarmament schedules for individual countries, but rather to advance a reasonable balance between the problems relating to weapons of mass destruction and to conventional weapons.

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Considerable work had been done in recent years towards reducing nuclear weapons, he said. The Treaties on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START I and START II) had been concluded, and agreements had been reached for deeper future cuts under START III. The President of the Russian Federation had undertaken the initiative to prepare a treaty by the five nuclear-weapon States on nuclear security and strategic stability. Such a treaty would create a good foundation for solving the range of nuclear problems, including the reduction of those weapons with a view to their elimination. That process was only possible through a gradual, staged progression, while maintaining strategic stability.

Both the START agreements and future negotiations leading to agreements by the five nuclear Powers required a certain amount of time, he said. Only after all those interim stages would it be practical to negotiate nuclear disarmament on a multilateral basis. Was it really possible now to deal seriously with something which might not become a reality in the first decade of the next century? Nuclear disarmament proposals which included specific time-frames were removed from reality. The Conference on Disarmament should focus on prohibiting the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices, as well as on regional disarmament and on developing an integral strategy for the multilateral disarmament machinery.

He expressed pleasure that the guidelines on conventional weapons had been dealt with constructively, including the acute questions relating to their limitation on the European continent. The Treaty on the Reduction of Armed Forces in Europe had been renewed and was being adapted to the new realities. On anti-personnel mines, he said that joint demining efforts should be stepped up in concert with the United Nations. The Russian Federation could not support a simplified approach to the question of mines. Producer countries could not bear the sole responsibility for that problem.

LUIS VALENCIA RODRIGUEZ (Ecuador), citing the adoption in 1996 of the CTBT, said the Disarmament Commission was meeting in an atmosphere of good international relations. It must continue to encourage negotiations on curbing all aspects of the arms race, to ensure the lowering of international tension. Peace and development were indivisible. A sizable part of the resources gained from disarmament should be used to promote the economic development of developing countries.

He said that Ecuador had always supported the creation of nuclear- weapon-free zones as an efficient way of strengthening peace and stability among States. The establishment of such zones must be based on the free will of the States involved, and the peculiarities of those States, including their geography, level of economic development and political systems. Verification measures were also necessary..

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He said Ecuador would support the convening of a fourth special session on disarmament and expressed the hope that consensus would be reached on its objectives. The session should assess the international disarmament situation in the context of developments since the ending of the cold war era.

He said his country was concerned about the growth and proliferation of conventional weapons and welcomed the Convention on anti-personnel landmines. States should comply with the Register of Conventional Arms. The United Nations should continue to play a central role in disarmament. There was a need for better coordination among the various bodies involved in disarmament. States should strictly abide by the aims and principles of the United Nations Charter. The international community should try to settle existing disputes or conflicts by peaceful means. All States, especially nuclear-weapon Powers should give political support to confidence-building measures.

KHIPHUSIZI J. JELE (South Africa) said the creation of nuclear-weapon- free zones demonstrated the continued commitment of non-nuclear-weapon States to ridding the world of those weapons. The Treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok and Pelindaba served to strengthen the international non-proliferation regime and encouraged the establishment of additional such zones in other parts of the world. Africa was particularly proud of the establishment of its nuclear-weapon-free zone. South Africa deposited its instrument of ratification to the Pelindaba Treaty with the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on 27 March.

Now that there was an international consensus on convening of a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, the international community should focus on reaching agreement on its objectives and agenda, he said. The threat posed by weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems was of serious concern to South Africa, as was the build-up of conventional weapons beyond what was necessary for self-defence. Conventional weapons were the source of most of the death and suffering caused in conflicts around the world today. It was thus promising that a greater emphasis was beginning to be placed on them in disarmament forums.

The rebuilding and prosperity of societies as a result of various peace and democratization initiatives was curtailed by the proliferation of those arms and light weapons, he said. Regional political leaders should commit themselves to solving that problem through effective regional cooperation and security action. Such efforts should address the underlying factors, including criminal activities and socio-economic underdevelopment.

KHALIL ABOU-HADID (Syria) said the priorities of the strengthened disarmament centre within the United Nations should be the achievement of nuclear disarmament and the elimination of other weapons of mass destruction. A positive outcome of the Commission's current session, demonstrated by

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consensus and harmonization in the working groups, would have a wide-reaching impact in all disarmament areas.

He said that an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on nuclear weapons had reaffirmed the indescribable human suffering that they could cause to present and future generations. Moreover, the Court stated that States had an obligation to undertake negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects, under effective international monitoring.

Syria was a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and had repeatedly announced its keen interest in establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and other areas, he said. It was also the first to propose formally that the Middle East be declared a region free of all weapons of mass destruction. His country again wished to express its deep concern over the obstacles presented by Israel to the establishment of such a zone, specifically through its refusal to accede to the NPT. Moreover, Israel was the only party in the region that was determined to keep its nuclear stockpiles, even increasing and developing them.

How was it possible to put an end to the nuclear arms race and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East when Israel alone in that region had a military nuclear programme that existed outside the international NPT regime? he asked. That programme represented a grave threat to the security and safety of the people of the region. Only the renunciation of nuclear weapons could guarantee peace and security. If the international community was serious about reaching a fruitful outcome to the Commission's current session, it would call on Israel to renounce nuclear weapons, begin practical steps to put its nuclear installations under IAEA safeguards and accede to the NPT.

Syria strongly supported the position of the Non-Aligned Movement of countries on the convening of a special session of the General Assembly on disarmament, he said. His country called for a limit to the overproduction of conventional weapons and to their stockpiling and development, while taking into account the legitimate right to self-defence and self-determination. Countries which possessed the largest arsenals of such weapons must reduce them. The United Nations Register of Conventional Arms fell short of accommodating the concerns of the majority of Member States. Its success depended on including the production, use and stockpiling of all types of weapons.

DAUDI N. MWAKAWAGO (United Republic of Tanzania) said his country attached the highest priority to the issue of nuclear disarmament and called on the nuclear-weapon States to work towards total elimination of those weapons. The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones and zones of peace had acquired increasing significance in the overall context of regional disarmament initiatives. A signatory to the Pelindaba Treaty, his country was

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guided by the conviction that such steps would strengthen regional peace and security and contribute to comprehensive efforts towards general and complete disarmament.

He said his country supported legitimate measures intended to regulate the transfer of small arms and light weapons and would support any measure aimed at ending the illicit arms trade. However, such measures should not prejudice the transfer of small arms necessary to meet the security concerns of smaller nations, most of which maintained relatively low levels of armaments for their legitimate defense needs. His country supported the convening of the fourth special session on disarmament. It urged all States to coordinate their efforts in pursuit of general and complete disarmament under effective international control.

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