DRAFT RESOLUTION CALLING FOR REVIEW OF NUCLEAR DOCTRINES ONE OF THIRTEEN TEXTS INTRODUCTED IN FIRST COMMITTEE

Press Release
GA/DIS/3154

DRAFT RESOLUTION CALLING FOR REVIEW OF NUCLEAR DOCTRINES ONE OF THIRTEEN TEXTS INTRODUCTED IN FIRST COMMITTEE

Among Others, Texts Also Address South-Eastern Europe, Indian Ocean, Disarmament and Development, Environmental Norms

The General Assembly would call for a review of nuclear doctrines and in that context, immediate and urgent steps to reduce the risks of unintentional and accidental use of nuclear weapons, according to one of 12 draft resolutions and one draft decision introduced this afternoon in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).

Introducing the text entitled “Reducing Nuclear Danger”, by which the Secretary-General would be requested to report to the Assembly at its next session on specific measures to significantly reduce the risk of nuclear war, the representative of India said that the elimination of nuclear weapons would require complex negotiations, but there was no justification for having thousands of those weapons on hair-trigger alert, creating an unacceptable risk with catastrophic consequences. The international community must recognize the need for urgent and practical steps to diminish the prospects for such a catastrophe.

The other texts introduced dealt with: the stability and development of South-Eastern Europe; the prohibition of new types of weapons of mass destruction; the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace; consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures; the relationship between disarmament and development; environmental norms in disarmament agreements; the Conference on Disarmament; transparency in armaments; the fourth special session on disarmament; the United Nations Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament; and strengthening international security.

The Assembly would reaffirm that effective measures should be taken to prevent the emergence of new types of weapons of mass destruction, according to a draft resolution introduced by the representative of Belarus. The Assembly would request the Conference on Disarmament to keep the matter under review, with a view to recommending specific negotiations on identified types of such weapons and, in that context, call upon all States, immediately following any recommendations of the Conference on Disarmament, to give those favourable consideration.

First Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/DIS/3154 17th Meeting (PM) 27 October 1999

According to a new draft resolution introduced by the representative of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the stability and development of South-Eastern Europe, the Assembly would call upon all participants of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, adopted on 10 June in Cologne, Germany, and all concerned international organizations, to support the efforts of South-Eastern European States to overcome the negative effects of the Kosovo crisis and enable them to pursue sustainable development and integration of their economies in the European and global economy.

By the terms of a 93-Power text on transparency in armaments, introduced by the representative of the Netherlands, the Assembly would call upon Member States, with a view to achieving universal participation, to provide the Secretary-General by 31 May, annually, the requested data and information for the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, including nil reports, if appropriate. The Assembly would reaffirm its decision, with a view to the further development of the Register, to keep the scope of and participation in the Register under review. Towards that goal, it would recall its request to Member States to provide the Secretary-General with their views on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development and on transparency measures related to weapons of mass destruction.

Another text on transparency in armaments, introduced by the representative of Egypt, would have the Assembly recognize the importance of achieving greater progress in the development of the United Register of Conventional Arms in order that it might truly enhance confidence-building and security among States and accelerate efforts towards attainment of general and complete disarmament. In that connection, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to report to the next Assembly session on: the expansion of the Register to include military holdings, procurement through national production, delivery systems and transfers of armaments technology; and the elaboration of practical means for the development of the Register in order to increase transparency related to weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, and to transfers of equipment and technology directly related to the development and manufacture of such weapons.

According to a draft text introduced by the representative of Australia, the Assembly would urge the Conference on Disarmament to fulfil its role as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community in the light of the evolving international situation, with a view to making early substantive progress on priority agenda items. It would welcome the decision of the Conference on 5 August to admit five new members, and note that the Conference recognized the importance of continuing consultations on the question of expansion of its membership. It would also welcome the Conference’s strong collective interest in commencing substantive work as soon as possible during its 2000 session. The Conference would be encouraged to continue the ongoing review of its agenda and methods.

Under a draft text introduced by the representative of Germany on practical disarmament measures, the Assembly would welcome the adoption by

First Committee - 1b - Press Release GA/DIS/3154 17th Meeting (PM) 27 October 1999

consensus of the guidelines on conventional arms control, limitation and disarmament, with particular emphasis on the consolidation of peace, at the 1999 substantive session of the Disarmament Commission, and stress their particular relevance in the context of the present text. Also, it would welcome the activities undertaken by the Group of Interested States that was formed in New York in March 1998, and invite the Group to continue to analyze lessons learned from previous disarmament and peace-building projects, as well as to promote new practical disarmament measures to consolidate peace, especially as undertaken or designed by affected States themselves.

According to three draft resolutions sponsored by South Africa on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Assembly would: decide, subject to the emergence of a consensus on its objectives and agenda, to convene the fourth special session devoted to disarmament; urge the international community to devote part of the resources gained from disarmament and arms limitation agreements to economic and social development, with a view to reducing the ever widening gap between developed and developing countries; call upon States to adopt unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures so as to contribute to ensuring the application of scientific and technological progress in the framework of international security, disarmament and other related spheres, without detriment to the environment or to its effective contribution to attaining sustainable development.

By the terms of two other texts introduced by South Africa on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Assembly would: reiterate its conviction that the participation of all the permanent members of the Security Council and the major maritime users of the Indian Ocean in the work of the ad hoc committee was important and would greatly facilitate the development of a mutually beneficial dialogue to advance peace, security and stability in the Indian Ocean region; and reiterate the importance of the United Nations activities at the regional level to increase the stability and security of its Member States, which could be promoted in a substantive manner by the maintenance and revitalization of the three regional centres for peace and disarmament.

A draft decision, also sponsored by South Africa on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement would have the Assembly decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-sixth session the item entitled “Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security”.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Chile, Mexico, Nepal and Portugal.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Thursday, 28 October, to continue its thematic discussion on all disarmament and security-related items, as well as its introduction and consideration of all draft resolutions.

Committee Work Programme

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this afternoon to continue its thematic discussion and consideration of all disarmament- and security-related draft resolutions. It is expected to hear the introduction of draft resolutions concerning the stability and development of South-Eastern Europe; reducing nuclear danger; the prohibition of new types of weapons of mass destruction; the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace; consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures; the relationship between disarmament and development; environmental norms in disarmament agreements; the report of the Conference on Disarmament; and transparency in armaments.

The Committee was also expected to hear an introduction of a draft decision on strengthening international security.

The current phase of the Committee’s work will extend through Friday, 29 October. 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 Monday, 1 November, will be action on all disarmament draft resolutions.

According to a draft text sponsored by Australia on the Conference on Disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.16), the General Assembly would urge the Conference to fulfil its role as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community, in the light of the evolving international situation, with a view to making early substantive progress on priority agenda items. It would welcome the decision of the Conference on 5 August to admit five new members, and notes that the Conference recognized the importance of continuing consultations on the question of expansion of its membership. It would also welcome the Conference’s strong collective interest in commencing substantive work as soon as possible during its 2000 session. The Conference would be encouraged to continue the ongoing review of its agenda and methods.

Under a draft text on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (document A/C.1/54/L.20), the Assembly would welcome the adoption by consensus of the guidelines on conventional arms control, limitation and disarmament, with particular emphasis on the consolidation of peace, at the 1999 substantive session of the Disarmament Commission. The Assembly would stress the particular relevance of those guidelines in the context of the present draft resolution.

The Assembly would take note of the report of the Secretary-General on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures and, once again, encourage Member States, as well as regional arrangements and agencies, to lend their support to the implementation of his recommendations. It would welcome the activities undertaken by the Group of Interested States that was formed in New York in March 1998, and invite the Group to continue to analyse lessons learned from previous disarmament and peace-building projects, as well as to promote new practical disarmament measures to consolidate peace, especially as undertaken or designed by affected States themselves.

In a related provision, the Assembly would encourage Member States, including the Group of Interested States, to support the Secretary-General in responding to requests by Member States to collect and destroy small arms and light weapons in post-conflict situations. The draft resolution is sponsored by Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Monaco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

A draft text sponsored by Egypt, Nigeria and Swaziland, on transparency in armaments (document A/C.1/54/L.21), would have the Assembly recognize the importance of achieving greater progress in the development of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms in order that it might truly enhance confidence- building and security among States and accelerate efforts towards attainment of general and complete disarmament.

In that connection, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General, with the assistance of the Group of Governmental Experts on the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms to be convened in the year 2000, to report to the fifty-fifth session on: the expansion of the Register to include military holdings, procurement through national production, delivery systems and transfers of armaments technology; the elaboration of practical means for the development of the Register in order to increase transparency related to weapons of mass destruction, in particular, nuclear weapons; and transfers of equipment and technology directly related to the development and manufacture of such weapons.

By the terms of a draft resolution on the prohibition of the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems (document A/C.1/54/L.26), the Assembly would reaffirm that effective measure should be taken to prevent the emergence of new types of weapons of mass destruction. The Assembly would request the Conference on Disarmament to keep the matter under review, with a view to making, when necessary, recommendations on undertaking specific negotiations on identified types of such weapons.

In that context, the Assembly would call upon all States, immediately following any recommendations of the Conference on Disarmament, to give favourable consideration to those recommendations. It would request the Secretary-General to transmit to the Conference all documents relating to the consideration of the item by the Assembly at its current session, and it would request the Conference to report the results of any consideration of the matter in its annual report.

The text is sponsored by Armenia, Belarus, Chile, Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Viet Nam.

Under a draft resolution sponsored by India, on reducing nuclear danger (document A/C.1/54/L.31), the Assembly would call for a review of nuclear doctrines and, in that context, immediate and urgent steps to reduce the risks of unintentional and accidental use of nuclear weapons. It would request the five nuclear-weapon States to undertake measures towards implementation of that provision.

In a related provision, the Assembly would call upon Member States to take the necessary measures to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects and to promote nuclear disarmament, with the ultimate objective of eliminating nuclear weapons. It would request the Secretary-General, within existing resources, to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session on information with regard to specific measures that significantly reduced the risk of nuclear war.

A draft text on transparency in armaments (document A/C.1/54/L.39) would have the Assembly call upon Member States, with a view to achieving universal participation, to provide the Secretary-General by 31 May annually the requested data and information for the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, including nil reports, if appropriate, on the basis of relevant General Assembly resolutions and the 1997 report of the Secretary-General on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development. It would reiterate its call upon all Member States to cooperate at the regional and subregional levels, taking fully into account the specific conditions prevailing in the region or subregion, with a view to enhancing and coordinating international efforts aimed at increased openness and transparency in armaments.

The Assembly would reaffirm its decision, with a view to the further development of the Register, to keep the scope of and participation in the Register under review. Towards that goal, it would recall its request to Member States to provide the Secretary-General with their views on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development and on transparency measures related to weapons of mass destruction. It would also recall its request to the Secretary- General, with the assistance of a group of governmental experts to be convened in 2000 on the basis of equitable representation, to prepare a report on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development, taking into account the work of the Conference on Disarmament, the views of Member States, and the reports of the Secretary-General on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development, with a view to a decision at its fifty-fifth session.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Monaco, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Samoa, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

According to a new draft resolution on the stability and development of South-Eastern Europe (document A/C.1/54/L.40), the Assembly would call upon all participants of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, adopted on 10 June in Cologne, Germany, and all concerned international organizations, to support the efforts of South-Eastern European States to overcome the negative effects of the Kosovo crisis and to enable them to pursue sustainable development and integration of their economies in the European and global economy. The Assembly would urge the normalization of relations among the States of South-Eastern Europe and the strengthening of their mutual cooperation on the basis of respect of international law and agreements and within the principle of good-neighbourliness and mutual respect.

The Assembly would affirm the urgency of the consolidation of South-Eastern Europe as a region of peace, security, stability, democracy, cooperation, economic development, observance of human rights and good-neighbourliness, thus contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security and enhancing the prospect for sustained development and prosperity for all peoples in the region as an integral part of Europe. It would also affirm the need for full observance of the United Nations Charter and for strict compliance with the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and inviolability of international borders of any States.

In a related provision, the Assembly would call upon all States to solve their disputes with other States by peaceful means, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, and call upon them, the relevant international organizations and competent organs of the United Nations to continue to take measures in accordance with the Charter, as appropriate, to eliminate threats to international peace and security and to help prevent conflicts which could lead to the violent disintegration of States. It would stress the importance of good-neighbourliness and the development of friendly relations among States, the solution of problems among States, and the promotion of international cooperation in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

The Assembly would stress the importance of regional efforts aimed at preventing bilateral conflicts endangering the maintenance of international peace and security and note with satisfaction that the multilateral peacekeeping force for South-East Europe had become operational. It would also stress that closer engagement of the South-Eastern European States in furthering cooperation on the European continent would favourably influence the security, political and economic situation in the region, as well as the good-neighbourly relations among the Balkan States.

It would also call upon all States and the relevant international organizations to communicate to the Secretary-General their views on the subject of the draft resolution. It would decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fifth session an item entitled “Maintenance of International Security- Stability and Development of South-Eastern Europe”.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Andorra, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liberia, Luxembourg, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

A draft resolution sponsored by South Africa, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, on the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace (document A/C.1/54/L.45), would have the Assembly reiterate its conviction that the participation of all the permanent members of the Security Council, and the major maritime users of the Indian Ocean, in the work of the ad hoc committee was important and would greatly facilitate the development of a mutually beneficial dialogue to advance peace, security and stability in the Indian Ocean region. The Assembly would request the Chairman of the ad hoc committee to continue his informal consultations with the members of the committee and to report through it to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session.

Another draft resolution sponsored by South Africa, on behalf of the Non- Aligned Movement, on observance of environmental norms in disarmament and arms control agreements (document A/C.1/54/L.46), would have the Assembly call upon States to adopt unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures so as to contribute to ensuring the application of scientific and technological progress in the framework of international security, disarmament and other related spheres, without detriment to the environment or to its effective contribution to attaining sustainable development.

The Assembly would reaffirm that international disarmament forums should take fully into account the relevant environmental norms in negotiating treaties and agreements on disarmament and arms limitation and that all States, through their actions, should fully contribute to ensuring compliance with those norms in the implementation of treaties to which they were parties. All Member States would be invited to communicate to the Secretary-General information on the measures they had adopted to promote the objectives envisaged in the present draft. The Secretary-General would be requested to submit a report containing that information to the Assembly at its fifty-fifth session.

A third draft resolution sponsored by South Africa, on behalf of the Non- Aligned Movement, on the relationship between disarmament and development (document A/C.1/54/L.47), would have the Assembly urge the international community to devote part of the resources gained from disarmament and arms limitation agreements to economic and social development, with a view to reducing the ever-widening gap between developed and developing countries.

The Assembly would invite all Member States to communicate to the Secretary- General, by 15 April 2000, their proposals for implementation of the Action Programme adopted at the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development, as well as any other views and proposals with a view to achieving the goals of the Action Programme, within the framework of the current international relations. It would request the Secretary-General to continue to take action, through appropriate organs and within available resources, for the implementation of that Action Programme.

A fourth draft resolution sponsored by South Africa, on behalf of the Non- Aligned Movement, on the convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.48), would have the Assembly decide, subject to the emergence of a consensus on its objectives and agenda, to convene the special session. It would request the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on the objectives, agenda and timing of the special session and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. It would decide to include that item at the next session.

A further text sponsored by South Africa, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, on the United Nations Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.49), would have the Assembly reiterate the importance of the United Nations activities at the regional level to increase the stability and security of its Member States, which could be promoted in a substantive manner by the maintenance and revitalization of the three regional centres for peace and disarmament.

The Assembly would reaffirm that, in order to achieve positive results, it would be useful for the three regional centres to carry out dissemination and educational programmes that promoted regional peace and security aimed at changing basic attitudes with respect to peace and security and disarmament. In that connection, it would appeal to Member States, as well as to international governmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations, to make voluntary contributions to the regional centres to strengthen their programmes of activities and implementation.

A draft decision, also sponsored by South Africa, on the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security (document A/C.1/54/L.50), would have the Assembly decide to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-sixth session the item entitled “Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security.”

Statements

GUNTHER SEIBERT (Germany) introduced the draft resolution on consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (document A/C.1/54/L.20). The resolution, he said, had been co-sponsored by 72 Member States, as well as joined by Israel, Brazil and Hungary. Those co-sponsors bridged regional group lines. Experience had shown that measures such as arms control, confidence-building and demobilization were often prerequisites for establishing peace, security and redevelopment in areas that suffered conflict.

The importance of practical disarmament measures, he said, had been receiving more recognition from the international community. Last year, there had been two Security Council meetings dedicated to post-conflict peace-building, as well as important documents released on the issue, including the final report of a governmental panel of experts. There had also been increasing activities by the group of interested States, which had held eight meetings and supported projects in such places as Cameroon and Albania, as well as directly assisted affected countries in practical disarmament measures. Extensive consultations had been held in an effort to secure consensus on the resolution, and he trusted that the draft would be adopted without a vote.

GEORGE NENE (South Africa), on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, introduced five draft resolutions and one draft decision. The first was Implementation of the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace (document A/C.1/54/L.45) which called on the participation of all permanent members of the Security Council and the major maritime users of the Indian Ocean in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean, to facilitate the dialogue to advance security and stability in the Indian Ocean region. Since the resolution was last adopted at the fifty-second session of the General Assembly, the heads of States and government of the Non- Aligned Movement had reaffirmed the validity of the Declaration’s objectives.

The resolution on observance of environmental norms (document A/C.1/54/L.46), he said, had a fundamental objective to ensure compliance with relevant environmental norms when negotiating and implementing treaties and agreements related to disarmament. The resolution refrained from reference to specific disarmament agreements, but called upon States to take into account relevant environmental norms while negotiating arms control and disarmament treaties.

The resolution on the relationship between disarmament and development (document A/C.1/54/L.47) underlined the importance of reallocating valuable resources released as a result of disarmament for development purposes, thereby reducing the gap between the developed and developing countries, he said. The Non- Aligned Movement believed that relationship had gained momentum and become relevant against the backdrop of the diversion of a large proportion of financial, material and technological resources to armaments, which had placed a heavy burden on the economies of many developing countries.

The draft resolution on the convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.48) called for further steps that would lead to such a special session, he said. Such a session would, among other things, offer an opportunity to mobilize world public opinion for the elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, as well as the control and reduction of conventional armaments. The members of the Non- Aligned Movement trusted that the draft resolution would be adopted without a vote.

He said that the draft resolution on United Nations Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.49) underlined the importance of all regional centres as mechanisms to inform, educate and generate public understanding and support in the field of arms control and disarmament. The resolution not only called for the maintenance, but also the revitalization of the three regional centres in Nepal, Peru and Togo.

The draft decision (document A/C.1/54/L.50), he said, called for the inclusion in the provisional agenda of the fifty-sixth session the item “Review of the implementation of Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security”.

WALDEMAR COUTTS (Chile) spoke on behalf of the draft resolution on the convening of a fourth special session on disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.48). He was firmly convinced of the need for such a session, because changes in the international landscape had seen heightened tensions and conflicts. Many elements warranted the session. It was not possible, for example, for strategic inequalities and insecurities to be allowed to grow. Early examination of those developments was essential. Strengthening international law and the International Court of Justice, in accordance with Article 26 of the United Nations Charter, was the only way for all countries to have better access to justice and peace.

A. VASILYEV (Belarus) introduced the draft resolution on the prohibition of the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons (document A/C.1/54/L.26). The draft had proposed to bring into action the Conference on Disarmament when circumstances required. It was important that the text’s adoption not involve any financial implications. The draft had contained a reference to all previous General Assembly resolutions on the question. The text was a unique example of preventive diplomacy, by proposing the ways and means of responding to changes in a most important area. The text had contained concise, basic provisions, previously adopted by the General Assembly. He hoped the draft would be adopted without a vote, just as it had been three years ago.

Ch. SANDERS (Netherlands), on behalf of 93 co-sponsors, introduced the draft resolution on transparency in armaments (document A/C.1/54/L.39). He said that transparency had been a major confidence-building principle that had enabled the international community to be better informed about military developments and prevent the emergence of misconceptions or distortions. Transparency had not been restricted to conventional arms only. It was desirable for transparency to be applied to weapons of mass destruction, as well, but those had their own agenda, sometimes even new agendas. Important instruments were being developed to contribute to the transparency of weapons of mass destruction. Multilateral treaties had existed, and there would be more in the future. He said that, in the area of conventional arms, there were only a very limited number of instruments available for increasing the degree of transparency, namely, the Convention on the Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons) and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention).

He said there were broader agreements for certain regions, such as the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty). Another important regional arrangement, which had his delegation’s great support, was the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions, approved in May. That was a legally binding agreement that required reporting on the procurement and transfer on the same seven categories of conventional arms specified in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was taking steps to establish an elaborate register and database on small arms and light weapons by early next year. Those important regional and subregional initiatives and arrangements on conventional arms had underpinned the great contribution that regional organizations could make in that regard.

Unfortunately, he said there had been nothing comparable to those regional examples at the global level, with two exceptions: the instrument for standardized reporting on military expenditures, the subject of another draft resolution; and the primary subject of the current text, namely, the Register of Conventional Arms. Given the opaque quality and limited nature of global arrangements, the Register should be protected and further developed, both in terms of participation and scope. Its success had so far been mixed. After spectacular growth in reporting in the initial years, a certain levelling off had occurred. The lack of growth had also been due to a number of drop-outs, but the implementation of commitments had become relatively routine for approximately 80 regular participants, including nearly all the major exporters and most of the main importers of major conventional arms. A total of 144 States had participated in the Register at least once, and Bangladesh had been the latest to join.

He said that, overall, participation in the Register had increased gradually, but he would repeat the appeal made at an earlier meeting by the representative of Finland, on behalf of the European Union, that those countries that had no transfers to report had been expected to turn in so-called “nil” reports. The Register had established a “de facto” norm of transparency in armaments, which all governments must take into account. It had provided significant data, which would otherwise not have been available. It had also provided a basis for negotiations and had pressured the military and political leaderships to be accountable. In addition, the Register had stimulated many governments to improve their national monitoring and control systems of arms transfers. Those were important reasons to further develop and expand the Register, particularly on the basis of voluntary reporting. In that regard, the United Nations Secretariat and all interested States should encourage wider and more consistent participation in the Register. Its role in the area of small arms and light weapons might also be considered.

He hoped the draft would receive widespread support. Perhaps, a single consensus text on transparency could be tabled in the future.

SOCORRO ROBIROSA (Mexico), on behalf of the Rio Group, spoke on the draft resolution on transparency in armaments (document A/C.1/54/L.21). Taking into account the needs of States to protect their security, as well as their inherent right to self-defence, she said, there remained an important need to encourage confidence-building measures among States, particularly in relation to transparency in arms. The members of the Rio Group had stated their determination to avoid arms races in the region through confidence-building and increasing cooperation. Undertakings on a regional level should have counterparts on global level. She hoped that the next expert group meeting in 2000 would be able to broadly address measures required to attain transparency in weapons, particularly weapons of mass destruction, because for transparency to be effective, it must cover the whole spectrum.

HIRA B. THAPA (Nepal) spoke in favour of the convening of an international conference on the illicit arms trade in all its aspects. Despite the fact that small arms and light weapons did not give rise to the conflicts in which they were used, they could exacerbate and prolong the conflicts and increase their lethality, he said. There was a close link between such weapons and insecurity. Their easy circulation and transfer impeded post-conflict reconstruction endeavours and disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of ex-combatants. Strengthened controls on ammunition and their explosive components, as well as on the manufacturing technology, could play a crucial role in addressing the problem. The problem could also be addressed by broadening the scope of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms needed to include small arms and light weapons.

LES LUCK (Australia) introduced the draft resolution on the Conference on Disarmament (document A/C.1/54/L.16), which would urge the Conference to fulfil its role and make progress on its substantive work. He said the resolution was straightforward, and commended it for adoption.

FILIPE ALBUQUERQUE (Portugal), also speaking on behalf of Denmark, Greece and Luxembourg, spoke in support of the draft resolution on the Conference on Disarmament (document A/C.1/54/ L.16). He said the Conference was the only global multilateral disarmament-negotiating forum for the international community and had a primary role in substantive negotiations concerning disarmament. His country attached major importance to becoming a member of the Conference.

Rule 2 of the rules of procedure of the Conference provided that the membership of the Conference would be reviewed at regular intervals, he said. The reason that stemmed from the tension between the limited membership of the Conference, on one hand, and the universal scope of its task, on the other. Since the task was to negotiate multilateral agreements designed to be adhered to by all States, he believed that the Conference should be open to all States that applied for membership. Only that approach would progressively eliminate the tension between limited membership and the universality of the Conference’s activities. In that context, he welcomed the draft resolution and noted that the Conference recognized the importance of continuing consultations on the review of its membership.

SAVITRI KUNADI (India) introduced the draft resolution on reducing nuclear danger (document A/C.1/54/L.31). As her delegation had highlighted last year, with the end of the cold war more than a decade ago, there had been no justification for thousands of nuclear weapons in a state of hair-trigger alert posing risks of their use, unintentional or accidental. Her delegation had, therefore, initiated the introduction of the draft text, which had received widespread support in the General Assembly last year. The resolution had put forward a modest and practical proposal calling for a review of nuclear doctrines. In that context, immediate and urgent steps should be taken to reduce the risk of the unintentional and accidental use of nuclear weapons.

She said that many nuclear-weapon States and their allies had opposed the text on the grounds of a number of technical aspects associated with it. While she had acknowledged those technical complexities, those could be overcome by the necessary political commitment. The elimination of nuclear weapons, under a multilateral and verifiable treaty, would require complex negotiations. Nonetheless, there was no justification for having thousands of those weapons on hair-trigger alert, creating an unacceptable risk that could have catastrophic consequences for mankind. It was imperative that the international community recognize the need for urgent and practical steps to diminish the prospects for such a catastrophe. In addition, the international community had legitimate cause for concern over what had been called the “Y2K problem”. The most important objective of the policies of nuclear-weapon States should be to remove the danger of nuclear war and reduce the risk of the accidental or unintentional use of those weapons.

A number of groups aimed at promoting global nuclear disarmament had also attributed the highest priority to the need for reducing such risk, she said, including the Canberra Commission, which had identified as a first step, taking nuclear forces off alert. The Tokyo Forum report also recognized the importance of moving in that direction. It was well known that several incidences of the near- accidental launch of nuclear weapons had occurred, often triggered by incomplete or inaccurate information. Those had demonstrated the dangerous character of maintaining large arsenals in a state of high alert. Her delegation would, therefore, introduce the draft resolution with expectation that international community would take action, both individually and collectively, to reduce such risks. In view of the urgency of the situation, the text also proposed a request that the Secretary-General report to the next session on its implementation. The text was simple and free from references to contentious issues. It advocated a desirable objective and would hopefully receive widespread support.

ISMAIL KAIHRAT (Egypt) introduced the draft resolution on transparency in armaments (document A/C.1/54/L.21). He said he believed such transparency was solid policy for confidence-building. It facilitated progress towards general and complete disarmament, and its objectives led to a higher degree of security for all States. The United Nations Register was a global undertaking, with both global and regional effects. It was an important first step towards transparency in all military matters.

He said his Government was disappointed in 1994 and 1997 by the Group of Experts, who were unable to reach any consensus. Achievement of transparency could not be based on a limited approach, but rather should include all arms, especially nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Those aspects of transparency issues had not been adequately dealt with by past panels of experts. The support this resolution received last year showed that many countries were concerned about the way transparency issues had been handled.

NASTE CALOVSKI (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) introduced a draft resolution on stability and development of South-Eastern Europe (document A/C.1/54/L.40). Since 1993, he said, the Security Council had adopted numerous resolutions concerning the security situation in the Balkans. The goal of all those resolutions was to: support positive developments in the region; overcome political, social and economic difficulties; promote confidence-building and disarmament; and enhance the region’s integration into the European structure.

He said the resolution took the recent events in Kosovo into account and stressed the importance of good-neighbourly relations, overcoming problems with peaceful means, and affirming the main principles of the United Nations Charter. The sponsors of the resolution believed the attainment of those goals was possible and deserved the support of the international community.

* *** *