SECOND SESSION OF PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR 2005 REVIEW CONFERENCE

OF PARTIES TO NPT CONCLUDES IN GENEVA

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 9 May (UN Information Service) -- The Preparatory Committee for the 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) held its second session from 28 April to 9 May 2003 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  The session was chaired by Ambassador László Molnár of Hungary.

Representatives from 106 States parties participated in the work of the second session of the Preparatory Committee.  The open meetings of the session were also attended by representatives from five international and regional intergovernmental organizations:  the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, the European Commission, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference; and by representatives of 37 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  One meeting of the session was devoted to 11 presentations by NGOs.

In accordance with the section on "Improving the effectiveness of the strengthened review process for the Treaty" agreed upon at the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the first two sessions of the Preparatory Committee would "consider principles, objectives and ways in order to promote the full implementation of the Treaty, as well as its universality".  The consideration of the issues at each session of the Preparatory Committee should be factually summarized and its results transmitted in a report to the next session for further discussion.

Following a general exchange of views on all aspects of the Treaty, during which 45 statements were made, the majority of the Committee meetings were dedicated to substantive discussion on the following issues:  nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and international security; non-proliferation, nuclear-weapon-free zones and safeguards; and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.  Time was also allocated for consideration of specific issues, such as nuclear disarmament; regional issues, including the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Review Conference and reaffirmed in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference; and the safety and security of peaceful nuclear programmes.  During the substantive discussion, 161 statements were made.

The Committee adopted its report by consensus on 9 May.  The Chairman's factual summary was annexed to the report, which will be transmitted to the third session of the Preparatory Committee scheduled to be held from 26 April to 7 May 2004 in New York.  Taking into account the deliberations and results of the previous sessions, the third session will be tasked to make every effort to produce a consensus report containing recommendations to the Review Conference.  The session will be presided over by a representative of the Group of Non-Aligned and other States parties to the NPT.

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