GROUP OF NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES PROPOSES CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ESTABLISH FOUR AD HOC COMMITTEES
Press Release
DCF/358
GROUP OF NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES PROPOSES CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ESTABLISH FOUR AD HOC COMMITTEES
19990204 Committees Would Negotiate Nuclear Disarmament, Fissile Material, Negative Security Arrangements, Prevention of Arms Race in Space(Reissued as received.)
GENEVA, 4 February (UN Information Service) -- The Group of Non-Aligned Countries in the Conference on Disarmament this morning proposed a programme of work for the Conference which included establishing an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament as well as re-establishing an Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
The representative of Colombia, speaking as Coordinator for the Group, also known as the Group of 21, proposed that Ad Hoc Committees on prevention of an arms race in outer space and effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons be re-established. The Group of 21 also proposed that the Conference appoint Special Coordinators to deal with the issues of anti-personnel landmines; transparency in armaments; review of the agenda; expansion of membership and the Conference's improved and effective functioning.
The President of the Conference, Ambassador Robert Grey of the United States, said there were many common elements between his proposal for a programme of work for the Conference and the one offered by the Group of 21, although there were some differences as well. He hoped the Conference could agree on a pragmatic programme and initiate work on common grounds. He also hoped that all members would show flexibility and that by next week, the Conference could agree on its programme of work.
Also this morning, the Conference was addressed by the representatives of Canada, Spain, Germany and South Africa.
The next plenary of the Conference will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 11 February, 1999.
Statements
MARK MOHER (Canada) said the most effective way for the Conference to move forward smoothly and productively in 1999 was to pick up where work ended at the last session. Concerning the complex field of nuclear issues, Canada's fundamental objective remained the same: to pursue the goal of the elimination of nuclear weapons by, among other measures, promoting and enhancing the integrity and effectiveness of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime anchored in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). That objective, as well as the regime and the treaty upon which it was based, were under severe threat and had to be preserved, promoted and enhanced.
Mr. Moher said the START process had to be reactivated and aggressively pursued and expanded; the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) must enter into force; and the strengthened NPT review process had to advance. Canada proposed that the Conference establish a mechanism for the substantive discussion of nuclear disarmament issues with a view to identifying if and when one or more such issues might be negotiated multilaterally. It also proposed that the Conference re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate a fissile material cut-off treaty, pursuant to its decision last session. Canada hoped that the Conference could take prompt action on the Ad Hoc Committees.
If the Conference decided to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, Canada would continue to be guided by the views summarized in its document CD/152 of 2 April 1998. Mr. Moher said that his country's longstanding policy regarding the proliferation of conventional weapons was to pursue the three goals of transparency, dialogue and restraint. Canada also believed that the horrendous suffering caused by small arms and light weapons could be decreased by dealing with licit transfers, illegal trafficking and the peace-building and human security dimensions on global, regional and national levels.
Concerning anti-personnel landmines, Mr. Moher said if the Conference were to pursue a ban on the transfer of anti-personnel landmines, the only standards Canada would accept were those of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention). On the prevention of an arms race in outer space, Canada hoped the Conference would re-appoint a Special Coordinator mandated to explore an approach that would satisfy the international community's desire to preserve and protect the current benefits from the use of outer space that almost every nation now enjoyed. In
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conclusion, Canada believed that the three Special Coordinators mandated to consider issues related to the reform of the Conference should be re-appointed.
MERCEDES RICO (Spain) said she would refer to three issues of particular interest to her country at this stage in the work of the Conference. First, it was appropriate for the Conference to adopt a programme of work as soon as possible. Last year, after two years of almost complete paralysis, the Conference appeared to have recovered its negotiating talent. It would be damaging if the Conference allowed the momentum that had been generated to escape it. Spain supported that the Conference urgently adopt the proposal to expand the membership of the Conference by five countries.
The second issue concerned nuclear disarmament, Ms. Rico said. This issue was not just a priority subject, but it was also one of the main concerns of mankind. Spain enthusiastically welcomed the START process. Despite the delays, Spain still considered that the bilateral route was the right one. It still viewed with a degree of misgiving the attempts to multilateralize negotiations. The most practical procedure at present would be to take up the formula used last year and recommend that the President of the Conference study all proposals submitted and conduct systematic consultations to see what the best way was for the Conference to deal with this issue. Spain would not oppose the appointment of someone to help the President in this task, nor would it oppose the appointment of a working group on this subject.
Ms. Rico said that thirdly, Spain placed on record its support for the early re-establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to discuss a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. It also supported early initiation of negotiations.
CAMILO REYES RODRIGUEZ (Colombia) said that as Coordinator for the Group of 21, he would introduce the Group's proposal for a programme of work for the 1999 session of the Conference which had been agreed upon by its members yesterday. It reflected the positions of the Group of 21, especially the highest priority it attached to item 1 of the agenda "Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament".
According to the proposal of the Group of 21, the Conference on Disarmament would establish an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament under agenda item 1 "Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament". It would also establish an Ad Hoc Committee under item 1 to negotiate a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. It would also establish Ad Hoc Committees to negotiate specific and concrete measures for the prevention of
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an arms race in outer space and to reach agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. The Conference would also appoint Special Coordinators to deal with the issues of anti-personnel landmines; transparency in armaments; review of the agenda; expansion of membership and the Conference's improved and effective functioning.
ROBERT GREY (United States), who is also the President of the Conference, said that intensive consultations were still under way on the programme of work. Among the issues being discussed were South Africa's proposal to appoint someone to help the President in negotiations on the question of nuclear disarmament. He hoped all members would show their flexibility to allow the Conference to embark on its work soon.
The representative of Germany said his country fully supported the President's proposal to continue work at the same point where the Conference's session ended last year. After protracted discussions, the Conference last year had been able to agree on some points. Yet what was the point of establishing an Ad Hoc Committee on fissile material last year if not to pave the way for immediate negotiations this year? In Germany's discussions with other members of the Conference, it had not heard a single objection against re-establishing this Ad Hoc Committee, nor had it heard any objection against re-establishing the Ad Hoc Committee on security assurances nor the re-appointment of Special Coordinators on the same subjects as last year. If there appeared to be general agreement on these items, why could the Conference not take a decision on them now?
He said he was aware that others wanted decisions on other matters as well. That was understandable. In fact, Germany would also like to see additional decisions taken, for example, on establishing an Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate a treaty banning the transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Germany realized that full consensus on this had not been attained last year and more consultations were needed, but why should this be an obstacle to re-affirming immediately the consensus on the Ad Hoc Committees on fissile material and security assurances? Negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty should be started at once. It was through these negotiations that the Conference could most effectively make a tangible contribution towards nuclear disarmament. The Conference could also contribute to this goal through other means, although the time had not yet come for multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament as such.
His delegation was willing to discuss all other proposals under item 1 of the agenda with an open mind, he said. At the same time, the continuation of the troika consultations which would address all past and future proposals on item 1 seemed to be the quickest way to get down to substantive debate without further delay. The Conference should concentrate on substance and not on procedure. Germany was also deeply disappointed that
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the Conference had not reached a decision on the proposed limited expansion of its membership and it hoped that a decision could be taken, if not today, then at the next meeting of the Conference.
The representative of South Africa said he was pleased that the President had said he would continue consultations on the South African proposal, and urged him to hold formal open-ended consultations on this issue.
Mr. GREY responded to the statement by the representative of Germany, assuring him that no one wanted a decision to be reached on a work programme for the Conference more than himself. There were many common elements between the President's proposal and the one offered by the Group of 21, although there were some differences as well. He hoped the Conference could agree on a pragmatic programme and initiate work on common grounds. The Presidency would continue to pursue consultations in hope that the Conference could get down to its substantive work. Since the Group of 21 had only presented its programme of work today, some delegations might need time to study it. He hoped that by next week, the Conference could agree on its programme of work.
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