STATE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF NORWAY ADDRESSES CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
Press Release
DCF/360
STATE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF NORWAY ADDRESSES CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
19990218 Representatives of New Zealand, Brazil, Republic of Korea, Ukraine, Cuba, Chile Also Address Conference(Reissued as received.)
GENEVA, 18 February (UN Information Service) -- The State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Norway, Aslaug Marie Haga, this morning told the Conference on Disarmament that her country was deeply committed to nuclear disarmament and Norway's ultimate goal continued to be the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
Ms. Haga welcomed all practical initiatives and measures that could help to enhance transparency in the nuclear field, that involve new reductions in existing nuclear arsenals and that help to further lower the existing alert of strategic forces. Nuclear issues were a concern to all countries and the international community had a legitimate interest in being kept informed about the progress achieved as well as any difficulties and challenges encountered in the nuclear disarmament process, she said.
Also this morning, the Conference heard general statements by New Zealand, Brazil and the Republic of Korea. Ukraine also spoke on the programme of work of the Conference.
On behalf of the Group of 21, the representative of Cuba introduced a draft decision and mandate on the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament. Chile said it did not oppose the proposal, but pointed out that the Conference should establish a mechanism to identify and explore issues which could be negotiated multilaterally.
Statements
ASLAUG MARIE HAGA, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Norway, reiterated that her country was deeply committed to nuclear disarmament and Norway's ultimate goal continued to be the total elimination of nuclear
weapons. She welcomed all practical initiatives and measures that could help to enhance transparency in the nuclear field, that involve new reductions in existing nuclear arsenals, and help to further lower the existing alert level of strategic forces.
Nuclear issues were a concern to all countries and the international community had a legitimate interest in being kept informed about the progress achieved as well as any difficulties and challenges encountered in the nuclear disarmament process, Ms. Haga went on to state. The Conference on Disarmament should not be mandated to negotiate nuclear weapons reductions. By establishing a procedure for reporting on nuclear issues and policies, the Conference could serve as an important forum for discussion and exchange of information.
Ms. Haga said that her Government was encouraged by the decision last year to establish the Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices. However, she said she was disappointed that the Conference had not yet been able to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee. In the view of Norway's Government, the main focus of the negotiations should be on the production of fissile material. The current discussions on whether stockpiles were to be included in the negotiations would probably not lead anywhere. Careful consideration should rather be given to whether certain categories of stockpile material were suitable for inclusion in the future treaty, she said.
Turning to the issue of highly enriched uranium, Ms. Haga said its production for non-explosive purposes, and its use as fuel for the propulsion of naval reactors also involves a risk of proliferation and was cause for concern. The issue should be addressed in the negotiations with a view to improving safety and the control of such material. Norway had on several occasions presented a four-step proposal which emphasized the importance of establishing voluntary measures that would increase transparency on holdings of plutonium and highly enriched uranium through reporting, inspection and safeguard procedures with a view to introducing agreed monitored net reductions from those stockpiles.
On the question of the proliferation of small arms, Ms. Haga stressed that the moratorium on the import, export and production of light weapons declared in November 1998 by all West African States was the most far-reaching programme to date in this area. It was now up to the international community to contribute to the success of the initiative, both by respecting the moratorium and by contributing resources for its implementation, she said.
CLIVE PEARSON (New Zealand) stated that his Government continued to believe, along with the majority of others, that the Conference could, and should, address nuclear disarmament. One could not continue to dismiss this
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imperative as being inappropriate or premature. Nor could one accept the view that addressing nuclear disarmament in the Conference might, in some way, defeat the purpose for which the members were striving: the eventual elimination of those pernicious weapons.
Mr. Pearson emphasized that a mechanism -- an appropriate subsidiary body -- could and should be established in the Conference. Moreover, the interests of non-nuclear weapon States should not be excluded from contributing to the process of nuclear disarmament. Nuclear weapons were multilateral in their reach and that gave States all the right to continue to call for their progressive elimination and the responsibility to work to that goal. An arrangement confined only to reporting would be insufficient. It would be unfortunate to relegate the Conference -- which was mandated to negotiate -- to a role where its members were passive recipients of briefings.
Mr. Pearson also said that another immediate priority before the Conference was to get down to work on a fissile materials treaty. It was unfortunate that negotiations had yet to be engaged for that treaty. Designing a fissile treaty that would have the capacity to address non-proliferation and disarmament would be no mean challenge. It would require some creative thinking and political flexibility. One of the Conference's tasks would be to ensure that the control put in place will justify international confidence. Another challenge would be to deliver an instrument that was both non-discriminatory and multilateral in its reach. Agreement would also need to be reached on a verification machinery that was credible but cost-effective.
Mr. Pearson said that addressing the proliferation in small arms was becoming more urgent and that there was an emerging consensus on the devastating effects that excessive and destabilizing accumulations of those weapons were having. New Zealand welcomed the new initiatives which were seeking to address this pressing problem.
ADHEMAR GABRIEL BAHADIAN (Brazil) reiterated his country's strong rejection to the notion that nuclear weapons could provide security to any nation. Those weapons rather breed tension and instability and constitute a serious roadblock to international peace and security. Brazil took note with interest of the strengthened review process of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which was agreed to at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference. More than 30 years had elapsed since the conclusion of the NPT. No one disagreed that nuclear disarmament, as any other complex endeavour, could only be achieved on a step-by-step basis. However, that did not mean that the nature, timing, discussion and negotiation of all aspects associated with nuclear disarmament were to be determined or conducted exclusively by the nuclear-weapon States.
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Mr. Bahadian stressed that Brazil was ready to cooperate in the efforts aimed to advance approaches which, in keeping with the tradition and nature of the Conference, allow for the establishment of a subsidiary body with a deliberation role, but also with some perspective in its mandate of negotiations at the Conference on the next multilateral steps in the nuclear disarmament field. Brazil had placed on the record it support to the South African proposal on the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee because it continues to believe that ideas along those lines would, at the present stage, draw the Conference closer to the middle ground.
With regard to the prevention of an arms race in outer space, Mr. Bahadian said that there seemed to be an increasing awareness of the need to substantively tackle the issue at this forum, in view of recent technological developments and huge investments being made in certain capabilities that might in fact pose the risk of such an arms race taking place in the near future. Many questions had been raised, including a possible distinction between weaponization and militarization of outer space, which certainly required further technical expertise and clarification. That and other relevant issues only highlight the pressing need for the re-establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on the subject.
MAN-SOON CHANG (Republic of Korea) said that given the lack of consensus among States and the complex nature of nuclear disarmament, his delegation believed that it would be difficult for the Conference to engage into multilateral negotiations for nuclear disarmament in the near future. It was imperative that the nuclear-weapon States reinvigorate their efforts for nuclear disarmament in a very diligent manner. In this context, it was important that START II be ratified without further delay, so that the START process was accelerated.
Mr. Chang said that regarding the issue of negative security assurances (NSA), it was the position of his Government that assurances by nuclear-weapon States not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States should apply only to NPT member States which faithfully adhered to all obligations under the Treaty. It also believed that NSA should not be provided to those countries that use or threaten to use weapons of mass destruction.
Furthermore, Mr. Chang said that his country fully shared the humanitarian concern of the international community over the scourge of anti-personnel landmines, and recognized, from a humanitarian perspective, the need for a universal ban of all landmines. While his Government could not accede to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) because of its security concerns at the present stage, it supported re-appointing the Special Coordinator to discuss the issue of banning landmine transfers.
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MYKOLA MAIMESKOUL (Ukraine) said that the "presidential troika" mechanism to deal with "cessation of the arms race and nuclear disarmament" was a proof of creativity displayed by the Conference last year and was quite relevant when neither an Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate the fissile material treaty (FMCT) nor a subsidiary body to deliberate general aspects of nuclear disarmament was established.
Speaking on the draft programme of work submitted by the Group of 21, Mr. Maimeskoul said that in comparison with the Presidential draft, it foresaw the establishment of two more Ad Hoc Committees respectively on nuclear disarmament and "prevention of an arms race in outer space". For obvious reasons, the idea to have an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament within the Conference was highly attractive to Ukraine. However, his delegation was not convinced at all that at the present stage negotiations within such a Committee could accelerate the nuclear arms reduction process.
Mr. Maimeskoul proposed to re-establish under agenda item 1 only the Ad Hoc Committee to negotiate the FMCT, while indicating in the relevant presidential statement that the decision was taken without prejudice to the adoption of the programme of work. In addition, the Presidency would continue intensive consultations on the establishment of subsidiary bodies or consultative mechanisms under other agenda items.
CARLOS AMAT FORES (Cuba), speaking on behalf of the Group of 21, introduced a draft decision and mandate on the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament. The draft was as follows: "The Conference on Disarmament decides to establish an Ad Hoc Committee under agenda item 1 'cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament' to start negotiations on a phased programme for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time, including a nuclear weapon convention."
JAVIER ILLANES (Chile), referring to the draft decision by the Group of 21, said that regarding the proposed draft decision and mandate on the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear disarmament, and taking into account the high priority given to nuclear disarmament, Chile considered that the Conference should establish a mechanism to identify and explore issues which could be negotiated multilaterally. Chile did not oppose the consensus reached in the Group of 21. However, a mandate such as the one presented by the Group, and in particular the phrase "with a specified framework of time", contained elements that in the opinion of Chile should not be determined before the beginning of a negotiation.
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