NEGOTIATIONS ON CONVENTION PROHIBITING NUCLEAR-WEAPON USE CALLED FOR IN TEXT APPROVED BY FIRST COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/DIS/3127
NEGOTIATIONS ON CONVENTION PROHIBITING NUCLEAR-WEAPON USE CALLED FOR IN TEXT APPROVED BY FIRST COMMITTEE
19981103 Resolutions Concerning Biological and Chemical Weapons, Radioactive Waste, Regional Arms Control, Small Arms Traffic Also ApprovedThe General Assembly would reiterate its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations on an international convention prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances by the terms of one of nine draft resolutions approved this morning by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).
By further terms of the text, approved by a vote of 82 in favour to 37 against, with 20 abstentions, the Assembly would ask the Conference to report to it on the results of those negotiations. (For details of the vote see Annex II.)
Prior to approving the draft as a whole, the Committee approved preambular paragraph 8 of that text by a vote of 82 in favour to 38 against, with 18 abstentions. By its terms, the Assembly would stress that an international convention on the prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons would be an important step in a phased programme towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, within a specified time framework (Annex I).
Under the terms of another draft text, approved by a recorded vote of 136 in favour to none against, with 3 abstentions (Israel, Republic of Korea, United States), the Assembly would renew its call to all States to strictly observe the principles and objectives of the 1925 Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gasses, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and call upon those States which continue to maintain reservations to that Protocol to withdraw those reservations (Annex III).
Another draft text concerning biological weapons was approved without a vote. By its terms, the Assembly would call upon all signatory States that had not yet ratified or signed the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention) to do
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so without delay. The Assembly would call on all States parties to accelerate negotiations on a protocol to strengthen the Convention and to redouble their efforts to complete it at the earliest possible date.
According to another text concerning weapons of mass destruction approved without a vote, the Assembly would urge all States parties to meet their obligations under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention) in a full and timely manner and to support the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in its implementation activities.
By further terms of that text, the Assembly would stress that all possessors of chemical weapons, chemical weapons production facilities or chemical weapons development facilities, including previously declared possessor States, should be among the States parties to the Convention.
A draft resolution on the prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes, also approved without a vote, would have the Assembly express grave concern regarding any use of nuclear wastes that would constitute radiological warfare and have grave implications for the national security of all States, and it would call upon all States to prevent any dumping of nuclear or radioactive wastes that would infringe upon States' sovereignty.
The Committee approved a draft resolution on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels by a recorded vote of 129 in favour to 2 against (Bhutan, India), with 1 abstention (Cuba). By its terms, the Assembly would decide to give urgent consideration to those issues and request the Conference on Disarmament, as a first step, to consider the formulation of principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control (Annex IV).
A draft resolution on regional disarmament, approved without a vote, would have the Assembly call upon States to conclude agreements, wherever possible, for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels. It would stress that sustained efforts were needed, within the framework of the Conference on Disarmament and under the umbrella of the United Nations, to make progress on the entire range of disarmament issues, and affirm that global and regional approaches to disarmament complemented each other and should, therefore, be pursued simultaneously to promote regional and international peace and security.
By the terms of a draft on the illicit traffic in small arms, also approved without a vote, the Assembly would decide to request the Secretary-General to hold broad-based consultations on the following: the magnitude and scope of the phenomenon; possible measures to combat it, including those suited to
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indigenous regional approaches; and the role of the United Nations in collecting, sharing and disseminating information on the illicit trafficking in small arms.
A text on consolidation of the 1967 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty for Tlatelolco), by which the Assembly would urge the countries of the region that had not yet done so to ratify the treaty, was also approved without a vote.
Statements were made by the representatives of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Algeria, Nepal, Cuba, Myanmar, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, Syria, China, Benin, United States, India, Poland, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Swaziland, Republic of Korea, Belarus and Angola.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m., Wednesday 4 November, to continue taking action on all disarmament and security-related draft resolutions.
Committee Work Programme
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to begin taking action on disarmament and security related draft resolutions. It had before it, four draft texts on weapons of mass destruction, one on the disarmament aspects of outer space, two on conventional weapons, and three on regional disarmament.
Under a draft resolution, sponsored by Hungary, on the status of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention) (document A/C.1/53/L.6/Rev.l), the Assembly would welcome progress on negotiating a protocol to strengthen the Convention. In that connection, it would call on all States Parties to accelerate negotiations within the ad hoc group of States parties and redouble their efforts complete the protocol on the basis of consensus at the earliest possible date.
Also, the Assembly would call upon all signatory States that had not yet ratified the Convention to do so without delay. It would also call upon those States that had not signed the Convention to do so at an early date, thus contributing to the achievement of universal adherence.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.
Under a draft resolution sponsored by Nigeria on behalf of the Group of African States and Fiji on the dumping of radioactive wastes (document A/C.1/53/L.9), the Assembly would express grave concern regarding any use of nuclear wastes that would constitute radiological warfare and have grave implications for the national security of all States. The Assembly would call upon all States to prevent any dumping of nuclear or radioactive wastes that would infringe upon the sovereignty of States.
The Assembly would request the Conference on Disarmament to take into account, in the negotiations for a convention on the prohibition of radiological weapons, radioactive wastes as part of the convention's scope, and ask it to intensify efforts towards an early conclusion of such a convention and to include in its report to the Assembly, at its fifty-fourth session, the progress made in those negotiations.
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The Assembly would also express the hope that effective implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste would enhance the protection of all States from the dumping of radioactive wastes on their territories.
According to a draft resolution on measures to uphold the 1925 Geneva Protocol (document A/C.1/53/L.28), the Assembly would renew its call to all States to strictly observe the principles and objectives of the 1925 Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gasses, and of Bacteriological Method of Warfare, and reaffirm the vital necessity of upholding its provisions.
The Assembly would call upon those States which continue to maintain reservations to that Protocol to withdraw those reservations. It would request the Secretary-General to submit to the fifty-fifth session of the Assembly, a report on the implementation of the present resolution.
The text is sponsored by South Africa on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as Fiji and Monaco.
A draft sponsored by Canada and Poland on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention) (document A/C.1/53/L.38/Rev.1) would have the Assembly urge all States parties to meet their obligations under the Convention in a full and timely manner and to support the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in its implementation activities.
The Assembly would stress the vital importance of full and effective implementation of and compliance with all provisions of the Convention, and also stress the importance of the OPCW in verifying compliance with the Convention, as well as promoting the timely and efficient accomplishment of its objectives.
The Assembly would further stress that all possessors of chemical weapons, chemical weapons production facilities or chemical weapons development facilities, including previously declared possessor States, should be among the States parties to the Convention.
A draft resolution on prevention of an arms race in outer space (document A/C.1/53/L.40) would have the Assembly call upon all States, in particular those with major space capabilities to contribute actively to the peaceful use of outer space and to the prevention of an outer space arms race, and to refrain from actions contrary to that objective and to the relevant existing treaties in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international cooperation.
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The Assembly would reaffirm the importance and urgency of preventing such an arms race, and the readiness of all States to contribute to that common objective, in conformity with the provisions of the treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including and Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. The Assembly would emphasize the necessity of further measures with effective verification provisions to prevent an arms race in outer space.
It would also reaffirm its recognition of the following: that the legal regime applicable to outer space by itself did not guarantee the prevention of an arms race in outer space; that it played a significant role in the prevention of an outer space arms race; that there was a need to consolidate and reinforce that regime and enhance its effectiveness; and that it was important to strictly comply with existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral.
By further terms, the Assembly would reiterate the primary role of the Conference on Disarmament in negotiating a multilateral agreement or agreements on the prevention of an outer space arms race, and urge States conducting activities in outer space, as well as States interested in conducting such activities, to inform the Conference of the progress of bilateral or multilateral negotiations on the matter, so as to facilitate its work. The Conference would be invited to re-establish the relevant ad hoc committee during its 1999 session.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Algeria, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Egypt, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Sudan.
According to a text on assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them (document A/C.1/53/L.7), the Assembly would encourage the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to curb the illicit circulation of small arms, and to collect such arms in the affected States that so requested, with the support of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa and in close cooperation with the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Also, the Assembly would encourage the establishment of national commissions in the Saharo-Sahelian subregion against the proliferation of small arms, and it would invite the international community to support their smooth functioning.
The Assembly would note that, as part of its efforts to halt the flow of small arms into Mali and the Saharo-Sahelian subregion, the Mali Government oversaw the destruction, at the 1996 "Flame of Peace" ceremony at Timbuktu in Mali, of thousands of small arms of ex-combatants of the armed movements of northern Mali. It would also take note of the conclusions of the ministerial consultation on the proposed moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of light weapons in the region, held at Bamako in March 1997.
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The draft resolution is sponsored by Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Japan, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.
By the terms of a draft resolution on the illicit traffic in small arms (document A/C.1/53/L.41/Rev.1), the Assembly would decide to request the Secretary-General to hold broad-based consultations, within existing financial resources, taking into account the ongoing work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms, with Member States, interested regional and subregional organizations, international agencies and experts on the following: the magnitude and scope of the phenomenon; possible measures to combat it, including those suited to indigenous regional approaches; and the role of the United Nations in collecting, sharing and disseminating information on the illicit trafficking in small arms.
The Assembly would invite Member States in a position to do so to provide the necessary assistance, bilaterally, regionally and through multilateral channels, to support the implementation of measures associated with combating illicit trafficking in and illicit circulation of small arms. It would request the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty- fourth session on the outcome of his consultations, and it would decide to include that item in that session's provisional agenda.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay.
A draft text sponsored by Belarus on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.23) would have the Assembly urge all the concerned States to exert efforts to make it possible to have no intention, no plan and no reason to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of the non-nuclear-weapon States of the region of Central and Eastern Europe. It would call upon those States and other concerned States to abide by their nuclear non-proliferation obligations under existing multilateral and bilateral agreements. The Assembly would decide to include the item in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fifth session.
A draft resolution on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.34) would have the Assembly call upon States to conclude agreements, wherever possible, for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels. The Assembly would stress that sustained efforts were needed, within the framework of the Conference on
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Disarmament and under the umbrella of the United Nations, to make progress on the entire range of disarmament issues, and affirm that global and regional approaches to disarmament complemented each other and should, therefore, be pursued simultaneously to promote regional and international peace and security.
The Assembly would support and encourage efforts aimed at promoting confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels in order to ease regional tensions and to further disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation measures at those levels. It would decide to include an item on regional disarmament in the fifty-fourth Assembly session.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Armenia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Indonesia, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia and Turkey.
According to a text on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels (document A/C.1/53/L.35), the Assembly would decide to give urgent consideration to those issues and request the Conference on Disarmament, as a first step, to consider the formulation of principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control. The Assembly looked forward to a report of the Conference on that subject and would decide to include the item in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fourth session.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the United Kingdom.
Statements
CHITTIPAT TONGPRASROETH (Thailand) said nuclear disarmament was a matter to which his country attached great importance. One step that would help make the world safer for present and future generations would be to stop both the vertical and horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of nuclear disarmament, the international community must go beyond the concept of non-proliferation and must resolve to work together. It was the duty of both the nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States to vigorously pursue sincere efforts towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
His country supported the various initiatives calling on the nuclear-weapon States to accelerate the process of nuclear disarmament in fulfilment of their obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It also supported related calls for the cessation of the further development and accumulation of nuclear stockpiles. Furthermore, he supported the idea of establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones in various
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regions of the world. Along with nine other countries, his country signed the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty establishing such a zone.
In demonstration of its commitment to the total elimination of nuclear weapons, he said his country had decided to co-sponsor five draft resolutions in the first cluster of resolutions, all reflecting the principle of nuclear disarmament. His delegation would like to reaffirm support for those draft resolutions -- on the Central Asia nuclear-weapon-free zone, (document A/C.1/53/L.2), the nuclear-weapon-free Southern hemisphere (document A/C.1/53/L.37), the decision of the International Court of Justice (document A/C.1/53/L.45), nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.47) and the new agenda for disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.48). His delegation was also ready to support other drafts addressing the same goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
Action on Texts
Speaking before the votes on draft resolutions contained in the nuclear weapons category, the representative of (Sri Lanka), said he had co-sponsored the draft on nuclear disarmament (A/C.1/53/L.47), which had been introduced yesterday by the representative of Myanmar. The resolution was first presented to the General Assembly in 1995, which was a landmark year in nuclear non-proliferation owing to the indefinite extension of the NPT. The Committee currently had before it a number of drafts dealing with nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament, which was an indication of the importance attached to the subject.
He said that the emphasis on nuclear disarmament was due in large part to the realization that those inhumane weapon of mass destruction should not be passed on to future delegations. Among the many drafts before the Committee on that subject, the text introduced by Myanmar was by far the most comprehensive and it made an attempt to chart the role towards ridding the world of the most abhorrent weapon of mass destruction.
He then introduced a draft amendment (document A/C.1/53/L.52) to the draft resolution on nuclear testing (document A/C.1/53/L.22). On 2 November, the representative of Australia introduced the text and in so doing, explained the reasons why the sponsors had decided to table it. Likewise, he would explain the rationale behind the present amendment. Regarding the fifth preambular paragraph, it recalled Security Council resolution 1172 (1998), but inappropriately ignored related resolutions of other bodies, including of the General Assembly. The amendments being tabled recalled all of the previous United Nations resolutions concerning nuclear testing.
The second proposal referred to the operative paragraph 1 of the text, he said. The proposal expressed concern over and deplored all nuclear tests, regardless of the reason they had been conducted, and it requested the cessation of all future tests. The majority of his group of countries were
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parties to the NPT and signatories to the CTBT. However, a number of countries were not party to those two instruments and it was, therefore, inappropriate to review the situation from a context based only on adherence to those two treaties.
He said that delegations should bear in mind that the nuclear testing to which the draft referred were in the past. Many positive developments had since taken place and the security situation in that region had improved considerably. Moreover, both parties confirmed that those nuclear tests would be their last.
The representative of Indonesia said that in order to achieve the goal of nuclear disarmament, it was important for the Conference on Disarmament -- the sole multilateral negotiating body on disarmament -- to step up its efforts. He hoped that the 1999 session of the Conference would respond accordingly and give nuclear disarmament the priority it deserved. His delegation supported the draft on the subject introduced by Myanmar (document A/C. 1/53/L.47)
He said the international community needed to adopt a comprehensive approach to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons and, in that regard, the opinion of the International Court of Justice was compelling. It should, however, be noted that nuclear disarmament was the primary responsibility of the nuclear-weapon States. The increasing impetus for nuclear-weapon-free zones was a significant manifestation of progress and his Government welcomed Mongolia's quest for a nuclear-weapon-free status.
The representative of Algeria, while commenting on the draft text on nuclear disarmament introduced by Myanmar (document A/C.1/53/L.47) noted that his country had been a strong supporter of related initiatives and had co-sponsored previous resolutions on the subject for the past three years. The possession of nuclear weapons could no longer be justified and the concept of nuclear deterrence had become simply unacceptable. The international community must now urgently pursue nuclear disarmament in good faith. As a co-sponsor, his country urged unanimous support for the draft text on nuclear disarmament.
The representative of Nepal said that the resolution on nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.47) dealt with an issue that deserved the highest priority. As such, he would emphasize two important aspects of the text, namely its call for a phased programme of nuclear disarmament and its comprehensiveness. The draft should receive overwhelming support and be approved by consensus.
He said that Mongolia's desire to achieve nuclear-weapon-free status seemed to be a new concept that merited due consideration. Since that idea was in conformity with the declaration of principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among States in accordance with
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the United Nations Charter, the draft on Mongolia's nuclear-weapon-free status (document A/C.1/53/L.10/Rev.1) should be approved by acclamation.
The representative of Cuba said he wished to address three nuclear-related texts. The draft resolution on nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.47) was one of the most important texts that the General Assembly would be adopting this year. Cuba had co-sponsored the draft which had faithfully reflected its position on that subject. The draft reiterated the maximum nuclear disarmament priority, as it appeared in the final document of the tenth special session of the General Assembly.
He said that, further, the draft recognized the complementary nature of bilateral and multilateral negotiations, as well as the fact that bilateral negotiations must never be allowed to replace multilateral negotiations on that subject. His delegation also supported the call for the establishment in the Conference on Disarmament of a special committee on nuclear disarmament to establish a global nuclear disarmament programme, with a view to the elimination of those weapons in a specified time-frame.
Turning to the draft text on negative security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States (document A/C.1/53/L.36), he said that, in order for such agreements to be effective, those guarantees must not be discriminatory or subject to conditions. He would appeal to all States, especially to the nuclear-weapon States, to reach agreement on a common formula of security assurances to be negotiated in the Conference on Disarmament. A multilateral agreement that was binding and universal would create a propitious climate in which to negotiate the elimination of those weapons altogether.
He said that the draft text on the 1967 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) (A/C.1/53/L.19) was an historic event aimed at banning nuclear weapons and promoting international peace and security. However, the obstacles that prevented his country's full incorporation into the Treaty were still present and continued to affect Cuban security. The only nuclear Power in that part of world -- the United States -- had maintained a policy of hostility against Cuba, which had recently intensified. He hoped, however, that the draft would receive maximum support.
The representative of Myanmar, commenting on the draft text on Mongolia's declaration of its territory as a nuclear-weapon-free zone (document A/C.1/53/L.10/Rev.1), said the creation of such zones constituted effective disarmament measures towards the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Mongolia's initiative was a bold and commendable step, which was warmly welcomed by the last summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. His country strongly supported Mongolia's initiative and hoped that the draft text would be adopted without a vote.
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The representative of Germany said his country had been strongly committed to nuclear disarmament in both the unilateral and multilateral context. For that reason, his delegation co-sponsored the related drafts by the United States and Russian Federation (document A/C.1/53/L.49) and by Japan (document A/C.1/43/L.42). The next step in the nuclear disarmament process -- the conclusion of a fissile material cut-off treaty -- was long overdue. Such a treaty would contribute significantly to both nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation. His country hoped that substantive negotiations on that treaty would commence at the next session of the Conference on Disarmament.
The representative of Japan, speaking on behalf of 49 co-sponsors, introduced a revised draft resolution on small arms (document A/C.1/53/L.13/Rev. 1).
By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would decide to convene an international conference on the illicit arms trade in all its aspects not later than 2001. It would request the Secretary-General to prepare a report containing his recommendations to be submitted at the Assembly's fifty-fourth session, with a view to arriving at an Assembly decision during that session on the objective, scope, agenda, dates, venue and preparatory committee of such a conference.
The Assembly would further request the Secretary-General to initiate a study, as soon as possible within existing resources, on the feasibility of restricting the manufacture and trade of such weapons to the manufacturers and dealers authorized by States.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Croatia, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Uruguay.
He said the text was the outcome of intensive consultations among interested delegations and co-sponsors. The revisions made the text clearer, more practical and more consistent, especially in operative paragraph 3 (a) and (b). Furthermore, the last two lines of the original operative paragraph 5, referring to "a database" was deleted because a number of delegations felt that reference was premature. The draft resolution would hopefully command overwhelming Committee support.
Speaking on a point of order, the representative of Pakistan sought clarification from the Chairman on the procedure concerning allowable deferments of action. He would request a more flexible approach by the
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Chairman in retaining the possibility of allowing delegations to postpone votes at any time for reasons that included a lack of instructions from their governments.
The representative of South Africa said he supported the statement made by Pakistan and understood that a delegation could request a postponement at any time. While he preferred the Chairman's option to press ahead, that would create difficulties and be improper if it were made a firm ruling.
The CHAIRMAN reiterated that if delegations were still engaged in negotiations on a text and were not in a position to vote on it, they should request a deferment by 6 p.m. the previous day. That did not affect the 24-hour rule which applied to time allowed to review new revisions or amendments before action.
The representative of Syria reflected on the comments made by the delegations of South Africa and Pakistan, and indicated that there were some drafts that required more time because of their delicate nature. The Chairman's decision on the Committee's methods of work was strict and harsh and did not correspond to the rules of procedure. Some countries would find it difficult to comply with his request that postponements be requested 24 hours in advance. He would, therefore, invite the Chairman to be more flexible in that regard.
The CHAIRMAN repeated his request that if delegations were not ready, they should inform the Bureau on the previous day, including if there was any doubt about being able to take action, in order to proceed in any orderly manner.
The representative of China said that his delegation would abstain on the vote on the draft resolution on a convention to ban nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/53/L.14). Since it had always supported the prohibition and destruction of all nuclear weapons based on its fundamental position, it had no difficulty with the substance of the text and had voted in favour of similar past drafts. Since the beginning of the year, however, there had been changes related to the situation described in the text, namely that the draft's sponsors had for years been championing nuclear disarmament and stood for the prohibition of the use of those weapons.
Following the conclusion of the CTBT, nuclear non-proliferation and the prohibition of nuclear tests had formed the consensus of the international community. Last May, however, a co-sponsor of the text had conducted nuclear tests in a flagrant fashion and proclaimed itself to be a nuclear State. In view of the contradiction between action and avocation on the part of that co-sponsor, doubts had been raised about its sincerity. The Chinese delegation would, therefore, abstain in the vote on that draft.
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The Committee then took up the draft resolution on a Convention banning nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/53/L.14).
The Committee Secretary announced the addition of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a co-sponsor.
A separate recorded vote was requested on the eighth preambular paragraph, which stresses that an international convention would be an important step in a phased programme towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
The Committee approved the preambular paragraph by a recorded vote of 72 in favour to 38 against, with 18 abstentions. (For details of the vote see Annex I.)
The representative of Benin said his vote had not been recorded.
The representative of Sri Lanka said he had intended to vote in favour of the draft.
The Committee then approved the draft resolution as a whole by a recorded vote of 82 in favour to 37 against, with 20 abstentions. (For details see Annex II.)
The representative of the United States, speaking in explanation of the vote, said his delegation had voted "no" on the draft. It would never, notwithstanding its commitment to nuclear disarmament, negotiate, approve or sign a convention of the type called for in the text. Such a convention was simply not a practical approach to the ultimate goal. Considerable progress had been made by a realistic step-by-step method that embraced unilateral, bilateral and multilateral approaches. Those could continue to bear fruit.
He said that the current text had dropped the annex on such a convention, which led him to wonder whether its sponsor was no longer interested in a convention that would have prohibited the development, production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. Was it also possible that the sponsor was no longer willing to use the phrase "five nuclear-weapon-States" which had appeared in last year's draft? he asked.
The representative of Japan, speaking in explanation of the vote, said his delegation had abstained on the vote despite its fervent desire not to repeat the incomparable suffering those weapons caused. Continuous effort should be made to rid the world of nuclear weapons, but in his country's view, the only way to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world was by a steady and step-by-step progress in nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. For that reason, his country attached particular importance to strengthening the NPT, the early conclusion of a fissile material cut-off treaty, as well as to the concrete efforts by the five nuclear-weapon States. He further
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advocated multilateral discussions on possible future steps in his draft on nuclear disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.42).
The Committee then took up the draft resolution on the Treaty of Tlatelolco (document A/C.1/53/L.19).
The draft would have the Assembly urge the countries of the region that had not yet done so to ratify the Treaty. The Assembly would welcome the concrete steps taken by some countries of the region during the past year to consolidate the regime of military denuclearization established by the Treaty, and it would decide to include that item in the provisional agenda of its next session.
The draft resolution is sponsored by Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The text was approved without a vote.
The draft resolution on the Biological Weapons Convention (document A/C.1/53/L.6/Rev.1) was then approved without a vote, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo joining as co-sponsor.
The Committee Secretary told the Committee it should be noted that the review conferences and the special conference referred to in the draft text on the Biological Weapons Convention were conferences of States parties to the Convention. Accordingly, the Secretary-General considered that his mandate under the draft resolution, with regard to rendering the necessary assistance and required services for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the review conferences and special conference mentioned in operative paragraph 4 of the draft had no financial implications for the regular budget of the United Nations. The associated costs would be met in accordance with financial arrangements made by the Conference of the Convention.
He drew the Committee's attention to the established practice that all activities related to international conventions or treaties, which, under their respective legal instruments were to be financed outside the regular budget of the United Nations "may only be undertaken" when sufficient resources to cover the activities in question had been received from States parties in advance.
The draft resolution on the dumping of radioactives wastes (document A/C/1/53/L.9) was approved without a vote.
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In explanation of vote, the representative of India said her delegation was fully supportive of the central objective of the draft and, therefore, joined consensus on it in general terms. Nonetheless, she had reservations about certain elements of the draft, especially operative paragraph 8, which welcomes adoptions of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.
The representative of Cuba said he supported the draft resolution because it reflected matters of great importance and concern regarding a serious threat. He urged all States to ensure that the disposal of those substances did not cause any security damage to others. Also, he was delighted the matter was receiving attention in the Conference on Disarmament.
The Committee next approved the draft resolution on measures to uphold the 1925 Geneva Protocol (document A/C.1/53/L.28) by a vote of 136 in favour to none against, with 3 abstentions (Israel, Republic of Korea, United States).
The Committee then took up the draft resolution on the Chemical Weapons Convention (document A/C.1/53/L.38/Rev.1) as orally amended.
The representative of Poland drew attention to discrepancies in operative paragraph 2 between the English and French texts.
The representative of Egypt, speaking before the vote, said he sympathized with the general thrust of the text as it addressed a global instrument aimed at banning a whole category of weapons of mass destruction. Nevertheless, his position with regard to the Convention as it applied to the Middle East was well know and was best underscored by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's initiative in 1990 to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. Such a zone would result in a total prohibition of weapons of mass destruction.
He said that, although his country had actively participated in the arduous negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on that Convention, its position had been voiced since the Convention was open for signature. Israel had long repeatedly stated that the Convention should apply to all States of the region and contain a mutually acceptable verification mechanism. His own delegation was not at odds with that wish. However, he would broaden the scope to include adherence not to the chemical and biological conventions, but also to the NPT, to which all parties of the region belonged, with the exception of Israel. That delegation should listen to its own argument and demonstrate its political will.
His country, therefore, refused to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention until Israel joined the NPT. Yet, despite all of those considerations, his delegation had not requested a recorded vote on the draft, but it did not consider itself part of any consensus. It had particular reservations about
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operative paragraph 5 of the text, which emphasized the necessity of universal adherence to the Convention, and called upon all States that had not yet done so to become States parties to it without delay.
The draft resolution on the Chemical Weapons Convention was then approved without a vote.
The representative of Libya, speaking in explanation of vote, associated himself with the explanation given by the Egyptian.
The representative of Iran said his delegation had joined consensus on the text, as orally amended, because it attached great importance to the full and non-discriminatory application of provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Towards that goal, Member States should intensify efforts within the OPCW to expeditiously resolve all outstanding issues.
The representative of Israel said that, as it had done last year, his delegation joined consensus on the draft. It further joined the community of nations in welcoming the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Israel's signing of the Convention and its subsequent active role in crafting a workable verification mechanism reflected Israel's vision of the world. Yet, it had remained interested in preserving that instrument's core balance between a State's duty and its right to protect itself from security violations, and its commercial interests.
He added that by signing the Convention, his Government hoped that others in the region would soon follow suit. It had not yet ratified the Convention, in the light of its unique strategic and political environment. It would do so subject to those regional concerns, as well as to its legislative timetable.
Unfortunately, he continued, it was a well-known fact that none of the chemical weapons-capable States or suspected chemical weapons-capable States had signed the Convention. Indeed, key signatories had indicated they would not change their position, even if Israel ratified the treaty. Among those were countries that had used chemical weapons and were believed to be developing their capabilities. In fact, the chemical weapons threat against his country had gained momentum. His statement, however, should not prejudge the outcome of a future decision by Israel on the matter of its continued support of the Convention.
The representative Yemen associated himself with the statement made by the representative of Egypt on the Chemical Weapons Convention draft.
The representative of Algeria made a general observation with regard to the cluster of resolutions on conventional weapons. He said his country had expressed concern on a number of occasions concerning the illicit proliferation of small arms. There was an obvious linkage between that
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problem and other criminal activities, of which drug trafficking was a classic example. Given the situation, it was necessary for the international community to take a prompt and coordinated action. In that light, the re-establishment of the Department for Disarmament Affairs in the United Nations system was timely. His country supported the work of the Department in that context.
The representative of Swaziland reflected on his country's position as a landlocked State and said more international effort was needed to help smaller States in protecting themselves against the danger posed by the proliferation of small arms. As noted by many other delegates, those weapons were clearly accountable for a variety of serious crimes, including armed robbery and the toppling of legitimate governments in affected countries. As an African State, it was important to draw attention to the continent's dire situation in that regard. The intervention of the international community was imperative.
The representative of the Republic of Korea said that his delegation attached particular importance to the draft on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.34). The draft recognized and promoted the crucial role of regional and subregional disarmament and arms control efforts, and understood that global and regional approaches complemented each other. An approach to regional disarmament should be based on the specific characteristics of the region concerned. Sustained efforts to cultivate dialogue or building confidence were also indispensable for fostering a stable regional security environment.
The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum in the Asia Pacific region had served as a vehicle to uphold and promote global disarmament, such as the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. In North-East Asia, however, there was no regional process among regional countries, despite the uncertain security climate. The time was ripe for the countries of North-East Asia to begin a dialogue on peace, security and cooperation. Such a multilateral discussion would build confidence and enhance transparency and development in the context of a shared security. He strongly supported the consensus approval of the text on regional disarmament.
The representative of Swaziland fully supported the United Nations Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament, especially in Africa. In keeping with the spirit of the Africa Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba), the African nations had clearly indicated their desire for disarmament to become a reality. He would ask those regions that might disrupt that focused purpose to heed the call. Time and again, arms sales in Africa seriously disrupted the peace it craved. Disarmament on the African continent, therefore, could only become reality if the international community, including the United Nations, undertook efforts to assist that process.
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The representative of Belarus said that the new concept of disarmament-based security was multifaceted and encompassed all regions. His delegation attached particular importance to arms control as the main factor, as well as to the relevant disarmament machinery. It sought to contribute to a stable system of European security and, as a country, it had removed nuclear missiles from its territory.
He said that joint efforts should also be undertaken to ensure a secure future for the continent. The fate of the European community and its regional organizations would determine the further development of that security system. Moreover, to build real confidence between countries required stabilization achieved through more active disarmament measures, the reduction of military potential and the further expansion of information on military on a multilateral basis. That was the objective of the draft resolution he had introduced on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L. 23). In light of the ongoing consultations on the text, he sought to defer action to a later date.
The draft resolution on regional disarmament (document A/C.1/53/L.34) was approved by the Committee without a vote.
The Committee then took up the draft resolution on illicit traffic in small arms (document A/C.1/53/L.41/Rev.1). The Committee Secretary announced that the Democratic Republic of the Congo was joining as a co-sponsor. Also, the first line of the eleventh preambular paragraph should now read, "underlining the importance of increased cooperation and coordination both among the relevant intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations ...".
The Committee approved the resolution without a vote.
In explanation of vote, the representative of Cuba said his country fully shared the consensus of the main sponsors of the draft. That support, however, did not prejudge its position relative to the Inter-American Convention Against the Manufacturing and Illicit Trafficking in Weapons, Munitions and Explosives and Other Related Materials, which was mentioned in the sixth preambular paragraph. His country did not participate in the negotiations for that Convention. For that matter, it was not a member of the Organization of American States, under whose auspices the Convention was adopted.
The Committee then took up the draft resolution on conventional arms control at regional and subregional levels (document A/C.1/53/L.35).
Speaking in explanation of vote before the vote, the representative of India said the United Nations Disarmament Commission already took detailed consideration of the subject of regional disarmament and had actually come up with some guidelines. The need for yet another exercise along the same lines was, therefore, questionable. The draft's reference to arms control in South Asia also did not carry any weight. India and Pakistan had been engaged in
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bilateral dialogue, which included some confidence-building measures between them. The draft did not reflect adequately on the security concerns of all regional States. For those reasons, she would have to vote against it.
The representative of Cuba said he would abstain. He recognized the validity of some ideas, such as the proposal that States with relatively greater military capacities should take the lead in promoting regional disarmament and security. However, there were other provisions with which his delegation did not agree.
The draft resolution on conventional arms control at regional and subregional levels was then approved by a recorded vote of 129 votes in favour to 2 against (India, Bhutan), with 1 abstention (Cuba) (Annex IV).
In explanation of vote after the vote, the representative of Swaziland said his delegation supported the draft because of its advocacy of universal arms control. He was of the view that it would be through such an effort that the small arms scourge could be dealt with and it was through such an approach that regional and international peace could be achieved.
The representative of Angola said his country wished to vote in favour, but the voting machine was locked and had prevented him from participating in the voting.
(annexes follow)
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First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
ANNEX I
Vote on Eighth Preambular Paragraph of Nuclear Weapons Convention
The eighth preambular paragraph of the draft resolution on a nuclear weapons convention, which concerns the complete elimination of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/53/L.14) was approved by a recorded vote of 72 in favour to 38 against, with 18 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Angola, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia.
Against: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
Abstain: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Chile, Cyprus, Ecuador, Georgia, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, San Marino, Ukraine.
Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iraq, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe.
(annex II follows)
First Committee - 20 - Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
ANNEX II
Vote on Nuclear Weapons Convention
The draft resolution concerning a nuclear weapons convention prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/53/l.14) was approved by a recorded vote of 82 in favour to 37 against, with 20 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Angola, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte D'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia.
Against: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
Abstain: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Cyprus, Ecuador, Georgia, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Marshall Islands, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, San Marino, Turkmenistan, Ukraine.
Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea and Bissau, Honduras, Iraq, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe.
(annex III follows)
First Committee - 21 - Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
ANNEX III
Vote on 1925 Geneva Protocol
The draft resolution on measures to uphold the authority of the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting the use of asphyxiating gases and bacteriological warfare (document A/C.1/53/L.28) was approved by a recorded vote of 136 in favour to none against, with 3 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia.
Against: None.
Abstain: Israel, Republic of Korea, United States.
Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iraq, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe.
(annex IV follows)
First Committee - 22 - Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
First Committee Press Release GA/DIS/3127 22nd Meeting (AM) 3 November 1998
ANNEX IV
Vote on Regional Conventional Arms Control
The draft resolution on conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels (document A/C.1/53/L.35) was approved by a recorded vote of 129 in favour to 2 against, with 1 abstention, as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia.
Against: Bhutan, India.
Abstain: Cuba.
Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe.
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