'GLOBAL DEMILITARIZATION FUND' SHOULD AID CONVENTIONAL ARMS CONTROL EFFORTS, DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE TOLD

16 October 1998

Press Release
GA/DIS/3113

'GLOBAL DEMILITARIZATION FUND' SHOULD AID CONVENTIONAL ARMS CONTROL EFFORTS, DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE TOLD

19981016 Small Arms Trafficking Contributes to 'Culture of Violence' Says Belarus; Other Speakers Stress Global Action, Financial Assistance to Combat Arms Trade

Countries burdened by the cost of their efforts at conventional arms control should be assisted by an international fund, the representative of Belarus told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) this afternoon.

Speaking during the Committee's general debate, he said his country's proposal for the establishment of such a -- a "global demilitarization fund" -- fund had received wide support. In that same context, he added that international control over the export of small arms -- especially to regions of conflict -- should be more efficient as that trade was booming and contributing to a worldwide "culture of violence".

Addressing the same issue, the representative of Niger sought vigorous global action, including financial assistance from the United Nations, to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms. His country had joined with its neighbours to motivate global action by setting up a national commission in 1994 for collecting and controlling illegal weapons. As a result, a number of weapons stockpiles were set for destruction in the near future.

The representative of Ghana also called for international attention to address the increasing link between the illicit small arms trade and other transnational criminal activities.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Ecuador, Myanmar, Uganda, Kuwait, Botswana and Nigeria. The representative of Iraq spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Monday, 19 October, to continue its general debate.

Committee Work Programme

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this afternoon to continue its general exchange of views on a wide range of disarmament initiatives and a number of international disarmament agreements.

The Committee is also expected to take up the role of the Conference on Disarmament, which is the sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum. Discussion is likely to focus on the recent establishment in the Conference of two ad hoc committees on security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and on banning the production of fissile material for weapons purposes.

Among the nuclear disarmament issues under review is the adoption in 1996 of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Although the Treaty was negotiated in the Conference, consensus was not achieved, which that body requires. The Treaty adopted by the General Assembly was identical to the version negotiated in the Conference. The CTBT requires ratification by 44 States listed in its annex, including India, Israel and Pakistan.

Other treaties negotiated in the Disarmament Conference include the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. Its complex verification mechanism that will be implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The Conference also concluded negotiations on the instrument governing biological weapons, namely the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention).

The Committee is also expected to review the implementation of the principles and objectives of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament that were adopted at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The underground nuclear tests conducted last spring by India and Pakistan have raised serious concerns about the future of the Treaty and the non-proliferation regime overall.

The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones will be another focus of the debate. The zones already in existence are governed by: the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco); the South Pacific Nuclear-Free-Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga); the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Bangkok); and the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). Committee drafts are anticipated for the establishment of such zones in the Middle East, Central Europe and South Asia.

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Bilateral agreements negotiated between the United States and the Russian Federation aimed at nuclear disarmament will also be considered, including the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START). While reductions of nuclear weapons were proceeding under START I, the entry into force of START II had been delayed pending ratification by the Russian Federation. The Committee is also expected to review agreements between those two countries on the demarcation between strategic and non-strategic anti-ballistic missile systems, which sought to strengthen the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and provide new opportunities to work together to reduce their nuclear weapons stocks.

Discussion will continue on the subject of landmines, in the context of the two instruments to ban or limit their use. The first was Protocol II of the Convention on the Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons), a partial ban negotiated in the Conference on Disarmament. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention), a total ban, was agreed to, in Oslo, as part of the so-called "Ottawa process" and will enter into force on 1 March 1999.

Other matters to be discussed include the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as well as regional transparency and confidence-building measures, such as the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. The role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be discussed in the context of the international non-proliferation regime.

(For detailed background, see Press Release GA/DIS/3106 issued 9 October.)

Statements

JOSEPH DIATTA (Niger) said that while all of mankind aspired to peace and security, recent tragic events had demonstrated, once again, the need for general and complete disarmament. His country had set as its primary foreign policy objective, the establishment of good neighbourly relations and peaceful co-existence regionally and worldwide. Its desire to attain true disarmament had led it to adhere to several international instruments, including the NPT, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the CTBT. It would solemnly appeal to all States to adhere to those important international instruments.

He said that along with enforcing the ban on anti-personnel mines, vigorous global action was required to implement existing measures to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms. His Government had joined with its neighbours to motivate global action in that regard. Over and above its national legislation, it had set up a national commission in 1994 for collecting and controlling illegal weapons, through which it had already

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achieved concrete results. All weapons found had been stockpiled and were set for destruction in the near future. Yet, while the results were encouraging, residual insecurity remained. Considerable efforts, therefore, should be undertaken in the light of the scope of the phenomenon and the lack of means with which to combat it.

He underscored his country's request for financial resources from the United Nations to assist the national commission in collecting and controlling those weapons, and to secure lasting and secure conditions in Niger. The regional dimension of disarmament was essential in establishing a lasting climate of peace worldwide. Further, the operation of the United Nations Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament in Asia, Africa and Latin America must be strengthened. The importance of the Centre in Lomé, Togo did not need elaboration, but it could play its role fully only with sufficient financing.

The promotion and proliferation of nuclear-weapon-free zones had helped to achieve serious and regional disarmament, he said. It was a difficult task that required adherence by the entire international community. The convening of a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament was critical because further progress must be made in controlling conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

LUIS VALENCIA RODRIGUEZ (Ecuador) said that his country's position on disarmament was reflected in the position adopted by the Non-Aligned Movement at its recent summit in Durban, South Africa. Of particular importance and as part of the objectives of general and complete disarmament, nuclear disarmament had top priority. With the NPT the focus of those efforts, he appealed to those countries that had not yet done so to accede to the NPT without delay. He hoped the year 2000 Review Conference of the NPT would fulfil the aspirations of the international community.

He said that India and Pakistan should initiate a dialogue, as soon as possible, to help reduce the tensions caused by the nuclear tests. Further, a special committee to negotiate a gradual programme to eliminate nuclear weapons within a given time frame should be created. He welcomed the growing number of signatories to the CTBT, but urgently appealed to the 44 States whose ratification was necessary for its entry into force to act speedily. His country also stressed the importance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice by which all States must initiate and conclude multilateral negotiations aimed at the elimination of those weapons.

He said it was also crucial that nuclear-weapon States provide unconditional and legally binding security guarantees not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States. Accordingly, the creation of an ad hoc committee in the Conference on Disarmament on that item was particularly important. Greater support should be given to a convention banning fissile material for nuclear weapons. The ground had been prepared

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for that convention, which would constitute a significant nuclear disarmament measure.

Nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties -- such as the Treaty of Tlatelolco -- were also positive steps towards worldwide denuclearization, he said. The provision of unconditional security assurances to the States of the regions by nuclear-weapon States was not fundamental to their success. The joint declaration of 9 June by the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden regarding a new nuclear disarmament agenda was also welcome. That agenda would not just concern non-proliferation, but would urge compliance with article VI of the NPT, aimed at the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons.

He drew attention to the unlawful circulation of small and light weapons, which had fuelled certain conflicts. Terrorists and drug traffickers were the biggest consumers of those weapons and the millions in circulation were not governed by any particular controls, he said. Their threat was even greater than the threat of the production of new weapons. Indeed, those weapons were one of the greatest contributors to the "death business" and governments must assume responsibility for their control.

He said his country supported the convening of a fourth special session of the Assembly on disarmament as an excellent opportunity to engage in a detailed review of disarmament matters. The agenda for such a session must include: conventional disarmament; the effective reduction of conventional forces and weapons; the relationship between disarmament and development; and confidence-building. All States must participate in that session. Meanwhile, his country hoped to become a member of the Conference on Disarmament at that body's January 1999 meeting.

ALEG LAPTSENAK (Belarus) said that when there was a crisis in some part of the world, arms and external interference aggravated the situation. A booming trade in small arms, in particular, had been contributing to a worldwide "culture of violence". Economic growth was instrumental in preventing conflict and should be the prime objective of assistance provided to countries facing conflict. Most Member States questioned the validity of forceful intervention or the involvement of certain geopolitical factors in conflict settlement. Missiles were excellent technology, but they rated zero as a contribution to politics.

He said his country's proposal to establish an international fund to assist countries whose economies suffered disproportionately when they attempted conventional weapons elimination measures had international support. It might result in the establishment of a global demilitarization fund. There should be more efficient international control over the export of small arms, in particular to regions of conflict. While every State had the right to choose the means to ensure its national security, it was inadmissible to

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ensure security at the expense of others. He was concerned, for example, by the destabilizing effects of expanding the boundaries of a military alliance.

He said Belarus had drastically reduced its armed forces and military arsenal. He urged all States to support the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free space in the centre of Europe, which would become an integral part of Europe's comprehensive security architecture. That would enhance the security and mutual trust of the continent, foster geographical non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and be a major step forward in consolidating peace and stability, both in Europe and globally.

He supported the appeal to countries that had not yet done so to accede to the NPT and welcomed the announcement by India and Pakistan that they would accede to the CTBT. It was important to ensure substantive progress in negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament to prohibit production of fissile materials for weapons and other explosive devices. He also supported international efforts to attain a legally-binding instrument on nuclear safeguards for the non-nuclear-weapon States. He attached great importance to implementing the major international disarmament instruments.

The concept of making an act of premeditated harm to the environment a crime against peace and security should be considered, he said. He supported the convening of a special session of the Assembly devoted to disarmament, with an agenda that would strike a balance between conventional and nuclear disarmament issues and concentrate on international security priorities, reinforcing mutual trust and enhancing the role of the General Assembly.

MYA THAN (Myanmar), speaking on behalf of the seven member States of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam), called on all States, especially the nuclear-weapon States, to conclude negotiations on effective measures of nuclear disarmament, leading to the total elimination of nuclear weapons. He reiterated the Association's call to begin multilateral negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a phased programme of progressive and balanced reductions of nuclear weapons, within a specified framework of time though a nuclear weapons convention. He urged the Conference on Disarmament to establish an ad hoc committee to begin negotiations in 1999.

He also called for the convening of an international conference at an early date to reach agreement on a phased programme to prohibit the development, testing, production, acquisition, stockpiling, loan, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons. He supported and encouraged efforts to establish nuclear-weapon-free zones throughout the world and welcomed the ongoing consultations between the States parties to the treaty of Bangkok and the nuclear-weapon States. He hoped the nuclear-weapon States would sign and ratify the proposed protocol as soon as possible. He urged nuclear-weapon

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States to show resolve and flexibility and to cooperate to find solutions to the outstanding issues in the shortest possible time.

He stressed the importance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 8 July 1996. He supported the ruling that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict and the conclusion that all States were obligated to pursue and conclude negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control. He supported the expansion the membership of the Conference on Disarmament, and particularly the applications made by Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

EDWARD KHIDDU MAKUBUYA (Uganda) said the maintenance of international peace and security was the principal purpose of the United Nations. To that end, disarmament was crucial. As the First Deputy Prime Minister of his country already told the General assembly this year, "the philosophy of dependence on nuclear weapons for security was, in a creeping and disturbing fashion, becoming universal". Such a situation created new dangers for the survival of mankind. All United Nations Member States should sign and ratify the CTBT and the NPT, as a first step towards total elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

Armed conflicts, especially in developing countries, were on the increase, leading to large numbers of deaths, disabilities and the loss of property, he continued. Those conflicts were largely sustained by the availability of small arms. The levels of proliferation of those weapons were alarming and unless concrete measures were adopted to regulate their production and circulation, the dream of peaceful co-existence would be shattered.

His Government welcomed the Ottawa Convention. Anti-personnel landmines were technologically easy and cheap to produce and, yet, the destruction they caused, particularly to civilian non-combatants, was horrifying. The ban of that weapon would be justified. His country had signed the Convention and had initiated the process of its ratification.

Recalling the terrorist attacks on the United States Embassies in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania, which claimed the lives of many people, he said his country had also been the victim of terrorist attacks. Three civilian buses had been bombed, leading to the loss of many innocent lives. Like the drug problem, terrorism must be treated as a global problem and considered at an international conference.

He said that for centuries, the Indian Ocean had been central in the trade, culture and movement of peoples in the regions bordering it. Therefore, it was important for that Ocean basin to be free from any confrontation that might endanger regional peace. That area should be declared a zone of peace, which would enhance the global economy and promote

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international peace and security. As the world moved towards the next millennium, it was imperative for greater resources to be devoted to the prevention of conflicts.

HISHAM AL-GHANIM (Kuwait) said the speed of change in the international community and the intertwined interest of States confirmed the necessity of reinforcing links of cooperation and solidarity. International security could not be divided. In the light of the present challenges, the end of the cold war had confirmed that cooperation and solidarity were essential components in disarmament.

He said that the proliferation of conventional weapon and the rash of States that had increased their arsenals pointed to the imperative of international cooperation. That issue required a reinforcement of confidence among the nations of the world, which could be achieved largely through support for the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. Moreover, governments should seek to reduce military expenditures and divert the surplus resulting from disarmament measures, especially in light of the deteriorating economies around the world.

The effects of anti-personnel landmines were not confined to the military, he said. Their impact on civilians had jeopardized the security and peace of people around the world. His country knew the bitter experience of landmines. The mines planted by Iraqi troops during their invasion of Kuwait had victimized scores of innocent men, women and children. His country had harnessed efforts and enormous funds for demining. The international community must continue its efforts in that regard and increase efforts to ease tensions in all areas, especially in the Middle East and South Asia.

He said that the conclusion of the CTBT was a main step towards achieving disarmament, and it had confirmed the commitment undertaken at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the NPT. His Government, as a signatory to the CTBT, called for its speedy entry into force. Meanwhile, no action that contravened its spirit or letter should be undertaken. Rendering the Middle East nuclear-weapon-free was a common aim, which had been impeded by the refusal of Israel to respond to the wishes of the international community. It had also refused to accede to the NPT and to submit its nuclear installations to IAEA safeguards. Israel should be pressured to create a Middle East nuclear-weapon-free zone, thus averting the imminent danger to that region.

The Middle East should be free of not only nuclear weapons, but all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, he said. The production and export of fissile material should also be banned. Such measures would ease the tension which the world had so long suffered.

Turning to the "wanton invasion of Kuwait by Iraq", he said that country still possessed chemical and biological weapons. The Secretary-General had

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acknowledged in the Committee, the extensive use of chemical weapons, especially against Iran. The people of Haladja still suffered from the effects of those weapons, with chronic disease and genetic defects. "Those who used such weapons against their people would not be deterred from using them against their neighbours," he said. He welcomed Security Council resolution 1194 (1998), which called on Iraq to rescind its decision to suspend cooperation with the United Nations Special Commission and with the IAEA.

TEBELELO A. BOANG (Botswana) noted that his country was been party to the NPT, the Biological Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention. It was currently finalizing the process of ratifying the CTBT and had already offered its geological station to contribute to the Treaty's monitoring system. That demonstrated Botswana's commitment to the prohibition and elimination of weapons of mass destruction.

Much remained to be done with regard to nuclear disarmament, he said. Nuclear-weapon States had to show sufficient political will on the elimination of nuclear weapons. He joined others in arguing that the possession of nuclear weapons as a deterrent was inimical to the cause of their elimination. Concrete progress on bilateral measures between the United States and the Russian Federation would strengthen the NPT. The end of the cold war had offered ample opportunity for progress to be made in nuclear disarmament and the world should not allow that opportunity to go to waste.

He said his Government welcomed the decision of the Conference on Disarmament to establish ad hoc working groups to negotiate security assurances and a treaty that would ban fissile materials for nuclear-weapon purposes. Non-nuclear-weapon States, particularly those party to the NPT, had made a large contribution to non-proliferation and disarmament. Therefore, they deserved better than "being perceived as potential rogue States to be kept in check with the threat or use of nuclear weapons".

He shared the concern of other Member States on the question of small arms and his Government been among the first to sign the Ottawa Convention, he said. His country had already signed that Convention and was in the process of finalizing its instrument of ratification. It had become abundantly clear that the flow of light weapons to developing countries was not only encouraged by the demand for those weapons, but was also a product of "blinded conscience whose only concern is positive returns on this deadly commercial venture". International arms merchants were, indeed, a cause for concern. His country would continue to contribute to stemming the illicit flow of small arms by restricting their possession and use to institutions charged with maintaining national security.

JACK WILMOT (Ghana), said the end of the cold war unleashed new threats to global and regional peace. Intra-state conflicts, rooted in ethnic, racial and religious intolerance posed a threat to the security of many States and

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regions. Those conflicts had been compounded by the proliferation of conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction. Could the world hope for peace in a world replete with arms? he asked. Could it hope for peace while the nuclear powers held adamantly cling to doctrines of nuclear deterrence?

The excessive accumulation of conventional weapons posed a serious threat to mankind, he continued. Those weapons were the most widely used in conflicts worldwide and their illicit trade was increasingly linked to other transnational criminal activities. It was a welcome development that the international community was now paying increasing attention to the search for a solution. It was also commendable that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had prepared a moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of small arms. His country supported the idea of convening an international conference to discuss the issue.

He said the NPT and CTBT were intended to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and end the arms race. They were not an end in themselves, but a means to an end. Thus, it was regrettable that not much progress had been made towards the goal of general and complete disarmament. Current experience demonstrated that threshold States and non-parties to the NPT and CTBT would not continue to indefinitely abide by the Treaties or to respect the consensus reached, while the "nuclear haves" continued to defy the calls of the international community to fulfil their obligations. The recent nuclear tests by two members of the United Nations underscored the need for urgent measures to promote general and complete disarmament.

He welcomed the adoption last year of the Ottawa Convention, adding that his country had signed the Convention and was preparing to ratify it. He hoped that conditions would permit the universal adoption of that Convention. He agreed with the Secretary-General that there was a need to rediscover the connection between peace and economic development. Global peace and security could only be achieved if the needs of all, especially the poorest, were considered. "This we can do if we spare the resources spent on arms of all types".

E.O. OLUSANMOKUN (Nigeria) said the end of the cold war had regrettably not brought the relief and peace dividend that had been expected. Conflicts, underpinned by ethnic, religious and cultural considerations had erupted in many parts of the world, claiming precious lives and resources. There was an urgent need for the international community to address the problem, so that mankind could face the formidable task of sustainable economic development.

He said the most crucial issues facing the First Committee were nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. Recent developments in South Asia made it compelling for the international community to embark on a time-bound programme for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. It was unfortunate that the South Asia developments occurred in the wake of the indefinite extension of the NPT and the adoption of the CTBT. His Government called upon

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the two countries involved to abide by the measures stipulated by Security Council resolution 1172 (1998).

He recalled that during the NPT Review Conference of 1995, nuclear-weapon States had committed themselves to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons and to consider further steps to assure non-nuclear-weapon States and parties to the NPT against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. It was unfortunate that some nuclear-weapon States had not lived up to those obligations. For example, some of them persisted in their opposition to the establishment of an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament in the Conference on Disarmament.

His Government was delighted with the decision of the Conference to begin negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty, he said. He hoped that the negotiations would be carried through to their logical conclusion. One of the many benefits of a treaty was that all nuclear facilities capable of producing fissile material for the production of nuclear weapons would be brought under legally binding international safeguards.

Conventional arms, particularly anti-personnel landmines had done great harm to human life, he said. Although Nigeria did not participate in the Ottawa process, the country upheld the basic principles of international humanitarian law and welcomed the Ottawa Convention. In addition, the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones as a non-proliferation measure had become universally accepted. In addition to the four existing zones, his Government hoped that new zones would be established in the Middle East and Asia. His Government also supported the convening of a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, as a forum for reviewing achievements and for establishing the objectives and agenda to be pursued on nuclear disarmament.

Right of Reply

ROKAN NOMAN H. AL-ANBUGE (Iraq) speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said that Iraq had warned the international community and the United Nations, many times over and through documentation, not to embroil UNSCOM and its inspection teams in espionage and intelligence activities. Such activities were totally irrelevant to the implementation of Security Council resolutions. Rather, they were in the interest of the hostile aims of Iraq's enemies.

The scandal of Scott Ritter had confirmed once more, beyond any doubt, the truth of what Iraq had warned against, and it had confirmed that the machinery of the Special Commission had been used in espionage activity against Iraq, with a view to jeopardizing its security and sovereignty. Further, the disarmament records remained open-ended ad infinitum with the aim of prolonging the seige in the interest of the political goals of the United States and Israel. Therefore, his delegation was not amazed to hear the representative of Kuwait say that the efforts of the Special Commission were the cornerstone of Kuwait's security and stability.

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