FIRST COMMITTEE CONTINUES THEMATIC DISCUSSION
Press Release
GA/DIS/3120
FIRST COMMITTEE CONTINUES THEMATIC DISCUSSION
19981026 The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today continued the second phase of its work, namely the thematic discussion of all disarmament and security issues and the submission of all related draft resolutions.Since the Committee was implementing a recent decision by the General Assembly to streamline its work by merging the thematic discussion with the introduction of drafts, the Committee Chairman suggested that the introduction and discussion of draft texts could proceed according to last year's groups or "clusters". In that way, the first cluster would concern nuclear weapons, followed by other weapons of mass destruction and then conventional weapons.
The Committee Secretary reviewed the status of submissions of draft resolutions. The deadline for the submission of text is 6 p.m. today. Tomorrow, the Secretary will provide the order and content of each cluster of resolutions.
In a statement on small arms, the representative of Mozambique told the Committee the devastating impact of light weapons and small arms on socio- economic development -- especially in the reconstruction of post-conflict societies -- could no longer be ignored. He noted efforts being made by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to which his country belonged, to detect the illicit transboundary movement of small arms, apprehend the perpetrators and harmonize national legislation to ensure that criminals fleeing one country did not find refuge in another.
The First Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. Tuesday, 27 October, to continue its thematic discussion and begin the introduction of all draft resolutions.
Committee Work Programme
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to begin its thematic discussion and consideration of all disarmament and security-related draft resolutions.
The current phase will extend through Monday, 2 November. It combines the thematic discussion with consideration of drafts, as part of a reform to streamline the Committee's work. The third and final stage of its work, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, 3 November, will be action on all disarmament draft resolutions.
Under the current phase, the Committee will consider agenda items according to the following themes or categories: nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction; the disarmament aspects of outer space; conventional weapons, including anti-personnel mines and small and light weapons; confidence-building and transparency measures; the disarmament machinery, including the Conference on Disarmament; other disarmament measures, including the role of science and technology in international security; related matters of disarmament and international security, including the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures; and other international security items, such as the development of good-neighbourly relations among the Balkan States.
(For detailed background, see Press Release GA/DIS/3106 issued on 9 October.)
Organization of Work
ANDRE MERNIER (Belgium), the Committee Chairman, reviewed the current and second phase of the Committee's work. Following the decision to streamline its work, the second phase of work concerned the various draft resolutions. He suggested that members could group the introduction and discussion of drafts according to last year's clusters, starting with nuclear weapons and followed by other weapons of mass destruction, and then conventional weapons. That was simply a suggestion and not an obligation. The Committee Secretary would provide the order and content of each cluster by tomorrow, following the submission of all remaining texts.
Next, the Committee Secretary reviewed the status of draft resolutions. As at Friday, 45 draft resolutions plus one amendment had been submitted. All of those had been issued today, except for three texts, which were awaiting co-sponsors, as follows: on a nuclear weapons convention, submitted by India; another by India on the role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament; and on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, submitted by Malaysia. The text on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East was reissued for technical reasons.
First Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/DIS/3120 15th Meeting (AM) 26 October 1998
Based on the decision taken last week to extend the deadline for the submission of drafts by 6 p.m. today, four additional texts would be submitted on the convening of a fourth special session devoted to disarmament; nuclear disarmament; a new agenda towards a nuclear-weapon-free world; and bilateral negotiations.
Statements
CARLOS dos SANTOS (Mozambique) said the devastation inflicted by the proliferation of light weapons and small arms on socio-economic development, especially in the reconstruction of post-conflict societies, could no longer be ignored. Those weapons constituted a serious threat for national and regional security. They aggravated tensions that led to internal conflicts that affected even neighbouring countries.
He suggested some measures that might be adopted in combating the problem. First, the international community should promote and ensure an exchange of national and regional experiences in the collection and control of small arms and light weapons. At the end of a conflict, a programme for the reintegration of former combatants into civil society, including a legal framework for the control of the accumulation and transfer of small arms should be introduced under the guidance of the United Nations. Also, in cases where the international community was involved in ending an armed conflict and in consolidating peace processes, the collection and control of small arms and light weapons belonging to demobilized personnel should be included as integral parts of the peace accords.
He added that, in affected regions States and regional organizations should also take immediate steps to stem the flow of small arms and light weapons, through increased cooperation, tighter border control and intelligence sharing among other measures. Furthermore, because children constituted an easy conduit for the illicit transfer and use of small arms, special attention should be given to them. Above all, governments should harness the support of the civil society in the whole process. His Government favoured the convening of an international conference to facilitate dialogue on the issue.
He said the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to which Mozambique belonged, was already taking joint efforts to pull relevant intelligence information to detect and understand the illicit transboundary movement of small arms and to combat arms smuggling and drug trafficking, among other ills. In addition, the Community was making efforts to harmonize national legislation to ensure that criminals escaping from justice in one country did not find refuge anywhere in the region.
He reaffirmed his country's offer to host the first meeting of the States parties to the Ottawa Convention and paid tribute to Canada for its pioneering role on the issue of landmines. His Government hoped that the
First Committee - 4 - Press Release GA/DIS/3120 15th Meeting (AM) 26 October 1998
Maputo meeting on landmines would make meaningful recommendations that would 1address the problem posed by those weapons in a comprehensive manner. That event would also aim at mobilizing support for mine clearance and victim assistance. Success in tackling the issues raised by the Ottawa Convention would depend on the manner in which the international community accommodated the individual and collective interests of States.
* *** *