CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS REPORTS OF ITS AD HOC COMMITTEES ON FISSILE MATERIAL AND NEGATIVE SECURITY ASSURANCES
Press Release
DCF/348
CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS REPORTS OF ITS AD HOC COMMITTEES ON FISSILE MATERIAL AND NEGATIVE SECURITY ASSURANCES
19980903 (Reissued as received.)GENEVA, 3 September (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament this morning heard the reports of its Ad Hoc Committees on negotiating a ban on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and on negative security assurances. The President of the Conference also introduced the results of his consultations to seek views on appropriate methods for dealing with cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.
The report of the Ad Hoc Committee created under item 1 of the agenda entitled "cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament" said delegations had had a general exchange of views as a first step in the substantive negotiations. They agreed to recommend re-establishing the Ad Hoc Committee at the beginning of the 1999 session.
The report on negative security assurances concluded that pending the complete and effective elimination of nuclear weapons, non-nuclear-weapon States should be effectively assured by the nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, the relationship between the question of negative and positive security assurances was noted. Any further negotiations on the issue of negative security assurances should take fully into account the outcome of the 1998 deliberations in the Committee as well as the recommendations and suggestions of the previous session. It was agreed to recommend re-establishing the Ad Hoc Committee at the beginning of the 1999 session.
The Conference was considering the two reports in an informal plenary held immediately after the public meeting. If approved, the reports will be adopted at the next plenary on Tuesday, 8 September.
The President of the Conference, Ian Soutar of the United Kingdom, reported on consultations he had held to seek the views of members of the Conference on appropriate methods and approaches for dealing with agenda item 1. He said that in his judgement, and despite the assurances of flexibility
and moderation he had received from all quarters, the positions of delegations were still too far apart to be bridged. There was no prospect of agreeing at this session on the establishment of any further mechanism to address nuclear disarmament. He recommended that the Troika consultations resume at the start of the 1999 session of the Conference on Disarmament.
Mr. Soutar expressed sympathy to the Swiss delegation and Government for the Swiss Air flight which crashed near Nova Scotia today. Ambassador Erwin Hofer of Switzerland thanked the Conference on behalf of the Swiss Government and the families of the victims for its expression of sympathy.
The representatives of Canada, Mexico, Israel and Iran addressed the meeting. The Conference will meet at 10 a.m. on 8 September to conclude its 1998 session and adopt its final report.
Documentation
The Conference on Disarmament was considering the report of the Ad Hoc Committee under item 1 of the agenda entitled "cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament" (document CD/1555). The report states that the Ad Hoc Committee held two meetings from 27 August to 1 September and its Chairman, Mark Moher of Canada, conducted a number of informal consultations with delegations. The report lists the documents that were presented to the Ad Hoc Committee, adding that during the meetings, delegations had a general exchange of views as a first step in the substantive negotiations. The report says it was agreed to recommend to the Conference on Disarmament to re- establish the Ad Hoc Committee at the beginning of the 1999 session.
The Conference also has before it the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (document CD/1554). The report states that the Ad Hoc Committee held 9 meetings between 19 May and 1 September and its Chairman, Antonio de Icaza of Mexico, conducted informal consultations on specific concrete aspects of the agenda item, as well as several meetings with group coordinators and other representatives. The report lists the documents that were presented to the Ad Hoc Committee and includes in its annex a summary of the views and national positions expressed. The report concludes that pending the complete and effective elimination of nuclear weapons, non-nuclear-weapon States should be effectively assured by the nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. At the same time, the relationship between the question of negative and positive security assurances was noted. The report says that any further negotiations on the issue of negative security assurances should take fully into account the outcome of the 1998 deliberations in the Committee as well as the recommendations and suggestions of the previous session. It was agreed to
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recommend to the Conference to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee at the beginning of the 1999 session.
Statements
MARK MOHER (Canada), Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee under item 1 of the agenda entitled "cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament" introduced the report contained in document CD/1555. He expressed appreciation to all members of the Ad Hoc Committee for their constructive and substantive approach to the work of the Committee.
ANTONIO DE ICAZA (Mexico), Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on negative assurances, introduced the report contained in document CD/1554. He said the Committee held nine meetings and exchanged interesting views on the important issue of security assurances, especially their purpose and nature. He was grateful to the delegations which participated in the work of the Committee.
YOSEF LAMDAN (Israel) said he would be relinquishing his post in Geneva in October and would leave with enduring memories as well as some feelings of achievement for having been party to a positive process which, despite the prophets of gloom, was moving forward, however slowly.
Israel's fundamental positions were likely to remain constant for the foreseeable future, Mr. Lamdan said. First, it considered that disarmament was a regional issue which embraced all countries of the Middle East and should be negotiated directly by them. Second, it believed that peace-making preceded disarmament. The Conference on Disarmament should not be side- tracked by political squabbling, although the Ambassador said it had taken almighty efforts of self-restraint on his part not to reply to the jibes and hectoring of certain members of the Conference from the Middle East.
Mr. Lamdan said Israel lived in a dangerous place. One Member State of the Conference in the Middle East was clearly embarked on a programme of military nuclearization, despite its posturing and protestations to the contrary, and in witness thereof, it recently tested a new and powerful delivery system. Several Middle Eastern countries had extensive programmes for weapons of mass destruction, therefore Israel was bound to remain vigilant. However, it was committed to the process of disarmament and to the work of the Conference.
IAN SOUTAR, President of the Conference and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the Conference, reported on the consultations carried out by the Presidency to seek the views of Member States on appropriate methods and approaches for dealing with agenda item 1. He had convened informal open-ended consultations on 19 August to allow delegations to express
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their points of view. He was grateful to those who took part for the constructive and forward-looking manner in which they set out their positions.
Mr. Soutar said the exchange of views revealed a divergence of opinion between those delegations who believed that the Conference should now concentrate its energies on launching the negotiations for a ban on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, which they regarded as the next necessary step towards nuclear disarmament, and those who believed that the Conference also needed to establish an Ad Hoc Committee or some other mechanism for addressing nuclear disarmament. Other speakers pointed to the fact that a number of proposals for addressing nuclear disarmament remained on the table and should be taken up. It was also suggested that the Presidency should investigate the possibility of attempting a synthesis of existing proposals to see whether a basis for consensus might be established.
Mr. Soutar said that in his judgement, and despite the assurances of flexibility and moderation he had received from all quarters, the positions of delegations were still too far apart to be bridged even through the most ingenious drafting. There was no prospect of agreeing at this session on the establishment of any further mechanism to address nuclear disarmament. He believed that the mandate given to successive Presidencies which was related to the 1998 session of the Conference was technically spent. Despite the inconclusive outcome, a number of delegations had told him that they found the consultative process to be useful and that they would favour its continuation in some form or other. He recommended that the Troika consultations resumed at the start of the 1999 session of the Conference on Disarmament.
The representative of Iran said a delegation had referred to sources of instability and armament in the Middle East. The source of instability in the region was not hidden from anyone. The un-safeguarded nuclear facilities and other weapons of mass destruction in the region were the main source of instability. For the record, the recent missile test in Iran was solely for defensive purposes and did not threaten any country.
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