CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS JOINT DECLARATION ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT BY EIGHT FOREIGN MINISTERS

Press Release
DCF/339

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS JOINT DECLARATION ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT BY EIGHT FOREIGN MINISTERS

GENEVA 11 June (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament this morning heard a joint declaration by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden in which they said the international community must not enter the third millennium with the prospect that the maintenance of nuclear weapons would be considered legitimate for the indefinite future when the present juncture provided a unique opportunity to eradicate and prohibit them for all time.

The joint declaration, which was issued on Tuesday, 9 June, was read out by Ambassador Lars Norberg of Sweden. The Foreign Ministers suggested that the nuclear-weapon States should immediately abandon present hair-trigger postures by proceeding to deactivating their nuclear weapons. Non-strategic nuclear weapons should also be removed from deployed sites. Such measures would create beneficial conditions for continued disarmament efforts and help prevent inadvertent, accidental or unauthorized launches. The declaration said the three nuclear-weapon-capable States must also clearly and urgently reverse the pursuit of their respective nuclear weapons development or deployment and refrain from any actions which could undermine the efforts of the international community on nuclear disarmament.

The Conference on Disarmament had debated in length the recent nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan. The Foreign Ministers' declaration said the continued threat to humanity represented by the perspective of the indefinite possession of nuclear weapons had been further underscored by the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan. Also this morning, Ambassador H.M.G.S. Palihakkara of Sri Lanka presented a report as Special Coordinator for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space. He said that while consultations showed that there continued to be no objection in principle to the re-establishment of an ad hoc committee on the subject, further consultations would be needed as to when that decision could be taken. Ambassador Celso Lafer of Brazil, speaking on behalf of the G-21, reiterated that the group continued to attach the highest priority to nuclear disarmament and stressed the need for the immediate establishment of an ad hoc committee within the Conference on Disarmament to discuss this issue. The Conference resumes its plenary on Thursday, 18 June, at 10 a.m.

Statements

H.M.G.S. PALIHAKKARA (Sri Lanka), Special Coordinator for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, said he had held a series of consultations on this issue. There was a general recognition that the prevention of an arms race in outer space continued to be an issue of importance and urgency and delegations showed readiness to contribute towards that common objective in a constructive spirit. It was also generally understood that while there continued to be no objection in principle to the re-establishment of an ad hoc committee on the subject, further consultations would be needed as to when that decision could be taken. Meanwhile, several constructive ideas were considered during the consultations concerning the updating of the mandate of the committee. It was also evident that some delegations needed time to consider all related aspects of the issue and the timing of the establishment of the ad hoc committee. Consultations would continue, and given the wide measure of support and constructive spirit displayed by all delegations, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka hoped to submit a conclusive report, including on a revised draft mandate, in due course.

LARS NORBERG (Sweden), read out a joint declaration by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden, on "Towards a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: The Need for a New Agenda" which was issued on 9 June 1998. The declaration said the Foreign Ministers of these countries considered the continued threat to humanity represented by the perspective of the indefinite possession of nuclear weapons by the nuclear-weapon States, as well as by those three nuclear-weapon-capable States that had not acceded to the Treaty for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and the attendant possibility of use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. The seriousness of this predicament had been further underscored by the recent nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan.

The declaration deplored that countless resolutions and initiatives for the global prohibition of nuclear weapons remained unfulfilled. The countries could no longer remain complacent at the reluctance of the nuclear-weapon States and the three nuclear-weapon-capable States to take that fundamental and requisite step, namely a clear commitment to the speedy, final and total elimination of their nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons capability. They were deeply concerned by the persistent reluctance of the nuclear-weapon States to approach their treaty obligations such as an urgent commitment to the total elimination of their nuclear weapons.

The Foreign Ministers said the international community must not enter the third millennium with the prospect that the maintenance of these weapons would be considered legitimate for the indefinite future, when the present juncture provided a unique opportunity to eradicate and prohibit them for all time. The governments of each of the nuclear-weapon States and the three

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nuclear-weapon-capable States were called upon to commit themselves unequivocally to the elimination of their respective nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons capability and to agree to start work immediately on the practical steps and negotiations required for its achievement. The Foreign Ministers agreed that the measures resulting from such undertakings leading to the total elimination of nuclear weapons would begin with those States that had the largest arsenals. The importance that they be joined in a seamless process by those with lesser arsenals at the appropriate juncture was also stressed. The nuclear-weapon States should immediately begin to consider steps to be taken to this effect.

Among the practical steps that the nuclear-weapon States could and should take immediately was to abandon present hair-trigger postures by proceeding to deactivating their weapons. Non-strategic nuclear weapons should also be removed from deployed sites. Such measures would create beneficial conditions for continued disarmament efforts and help prevent inadvertent, accidental or unauthorized launches. The three nuclear-weapon-capable States must also clearly and urgently reverse the pursuit of their respective nuclear weapons development or deployment and refrain from any actions which could undermine the efforts of the international community on nuclear disarmament.

The declaration said negotiations on a convention which would ban production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices should commence immediately. Pending the total elimination of nuclear arsenals, legally binding instruments should be developed with respect to a joint no-first-use undertaking between the nuclear-weapon States and as regards non-use or threat of use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States, so-called negative security assurances. The maintenance of a world free of nuclear weapons would require the underpinnings of a universal and multilaterally negotiated legally binding instrument or a framework encompassing a mutually reinforcing set of instruments. The Foreign Ministers concluded by voicing their resolve to achieve the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and stressing that the determined and rapid preparation for the post-nuclear year must start now.

CELSO LAFER (Brazil) speaking on behalf of the G-21, reiterated that the group continued to attach the highest priority to nuclear disarmament and stressed the need for the immediate establishment of an ad hoc committee to discuss this issue. The G-21 emphasized the relevance of various proposals within the Conference which had called for the establishment of such an ad hoc committee. The group viewed that consultations undertaken by the Chairman of the Conference on Disarmament should lead to the establishment of an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament.

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