DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE CLOSE TO CONSENSUS ON ESTABLISHING AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PROHIBITING PRODUCTION OF FISSILE MATERIAL, CHAIRMAN SAYS
Press Release
DCF/344
DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE CLOSE TO CONSENSUS ON ESTABLISHING AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PROHIBITING PRODUCTION OF FISSILE MATERIAL, CHAIRMAN SAYS
19980806 (Reissued as received.)GENEVA, 6 August (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament was "quite close" to reaching consensus on establishing an Ad Hoc Committee on the prohibition of production of fissile material for nuclear purposes and will meet on Friday, 7 August, to formalize the agreement which seemed to be emerging, the Chairman of the Conference on Disarmament said this morning.
Chairman Mykola Maimeskul (Ukraine) said "a little bit of more time" was necessary before the Conference could announce the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee and the presidential statement following the adoption of this decision. The Conference would hold an informal plenary at 10:30 a.m. on 7 August to be followed immediately by an official plenary "to formalize the agreement which seems to be emerging".
The representative of Israel informed the Conference that he could not guarantee that his delegation would receive instructions on how to proceed on this issue before the meeting tomorrow morning.
The representatives of India, Italy and Bangladesh also addressed the Conference on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament; negative security assurances and the fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT).
Statements
SAVITRI KUNADI (India) said her country had consistently maintained that the only credible guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons lay in their total elimination. Until this objective was reached, as an interim measure, there existed an obligation on part of the nuclear weapon States to assure non-nuclear weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, and also that those weapons would not be used as instruments of pressure, intimidation and blackmail. That obligation should be of an international legally-binding character.
Negative security assurances were interim measures pending the elimination of nuclear weapons, which was the main objective, she said. As interim measures, negative security assurances could not be a substitute for genuine disarmament measures nor should they hinder the process of nuclear disarmament. However, in a world of nuclear proliferation, negative security assurances could facilitate confidence building. A Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons could form the bedrock of security assurances -- comprehensive, legally binding and irreversible.
She said that as a responsible nuclear weapon State, India had stated that it did not intend to use nuclear weapons to commit aggression or to mount threats against any country. The extension of negative security assurances must be seen as part and parcel of the commitment to achieve complete nuclear disarmament. The efforts of the Conference on Disarmament through the Ad Hoc Committee in negotiating an internationally binding instrument could act as a matrix within which measures could be undertaken and facilitated with the aim of preventing and prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons, paving the way for their elimination.
GIUSEPPE BALBONI ACQUA (Italy) said his country was definitely among countries which supported nuclear disarmament for the final objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons. The nuclear tests that had been carried out on the Indian subcontinent took Italy by surprise and could not be justified. Yet Italy always believed in the need for dialogue with India and Pakistan to make the voice of reason prevail. Thus, Italy noted with interest the statement by the representative of Pakistan last week and considered it important for negotiations to start on a mandate on the basis of the Shannon report.
He said Italy's commitment was designed to bring universalization of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT); acceleration of the reduction of production of nuclear weapons with a view to reach complete nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation; and the concrete realization of a plan of action for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation to be adopted by the Conference on Disarmament to extend the NPT. Italy supported the creation of a forum for consultation between nuclear and non- nuclear States,because while nuclear disarmament was primarily the responsibility of nuclear weapon States, it was also of interest for the international community as a whole.
He said Italy would continue with tenacity to deploy every possible effort to establish an Ad Hoc Committee on negative security assurances within the Conference on Disarmament. On the issue of anti-personnel landmines, Italy's vanguard position on that was clearly reflected in its domestic legislation. Italy was convinced that there could be parallel action in the
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Conference on Disarmament on condition that it be complementary with the norms of the Ottawa Convention.
IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said his country was party to the NPT and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). General and complete disarmament was an aim embedded in the Constitution of the country. Bangladesh favoured negotiations on a FMCT and the Conference on Disarmament was the right matrix for it. The urgency for the need of early action on this was underscored by the recent developments in south-east Asia. Many saw the FMCT as a step towards nuclear disarmament. Bangladesh welcomed the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee on item 1 which would tackle the issue of fissile material as well as nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The FMCT talks should commence, since any further delay would be at a great cost.
MYKOLA MAIMESKUL (Ukraine), Chairman, informed the Conference that consultations indicated that members were quite close to reaching consensus on establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on the prohibition of the production of fissile material for nuclear purposes under agenda item 1, and the president's statement which would follow adoption of the decision. It appeared that a little bit of more time was necessary. After consultations with the coordinators and China, he proposed that tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m., the Conference hold an informal plenary which would be immediately followed by an official plenary to formalize the agreement which seemed to be emerging. He hoped this form of proceeding would meet with the approval of the Conference.
YOSEF LAMDAN (Israel) said he would speak to the members in all openness and candour,since his country was one of the States which were still awaiting instructions regarding the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee on FMCT on the basis of papers which were only distributed last Tuesday. The decision makers in Israel were proceeding with deliberate speed on that issue, which impinged directly on the country's national security. They were moving as fast as possible. He welcomed that the consideration of the Ad Hoc Committee had been deferred at least until tomorrow, but stressed that there was no guarantee that he would receive his instructions by then. Israel would be present, but in all fairness, he asked the Conference to take note of this position.
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