DISARMAMENT DRAFT TEXT CALLS FOR STRENGTHENED OUTER SPACE LEGAL REGIME TO AVERT ‘GRAVE DANGER’ OF ARMS RACE

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

First Committee

12^th Meeting (AM)

DISARMAMENT DRAFT TEXT CALLS FOR STRENGTHENED OUTER SPACE

LEGAL REGIME TO AVERT ‘GRAVE DANGER’ OF ARMS RACE

One of 7 Draft Resolutions Introduced;

Missiles, Reducing Nuclear Danger among Other Issues Addressed

Asserting that it would be the greatest folly of the human race to allow outer space to become the next arena for an arms race, the representative of Sri Lanka introduced a draft today in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), by which the General Assembly would call on all States, particularly with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to preventing such an arms race. 

According to that text, one of seven tabled this morning, the Assembly, recognizing that the prevention of such an arms race would avert a grave danger for international peace and security, would reaffirm its recognition that the legal regime applicable to outer space did not, in and of itself, guarantee the prevention of an outer space arms race, and call for enhancing its effectiveness.

Speaking in support of that draft, the Russian representative warned that space should not be converted into another theatre for military operations.  Today, there were no offensive weapons in outer space, but that did not exclude the possibility that they would be stationed there in the future.  The eventual use of outer space for military objectives was very dangerous.  Unfortunately, existing norms did not provide a reliable shield against that occurring. 

Introducing a draft resolution on missiles, by which another panel of governmental experts, to be established in 2004, would further explore the issue in all its aspects, the representative of Iran said that a permanent role had been reserved for missiles in military planning.  Missiles were part and parcel of nuclear weapons, as a means of their delivery.  As a global issue, missiles could not be controlled by partial or narrowly defined measures.  Recent reports of the possible deployment of cruise missiles had challenged the claims of those who argued that only ballistic missiles were the real danger. 

According to another draft resolution, introduced by the representative of India, the Assembly would call on all Member States to support international efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means, and urge them to take and strengthen national measures to that end.

Considering that the hair-trigger alert of nuclear weapons carried unacceptable risks of unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, which would have catastrophic consequences for all mankind, 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, by a text on “Reducing nuclear danger” also introduced today by the representative of India

A further text, introduced by India, on a nuclear weapons convention, would have the Assembly, convinced that a multilateral, universal and binding agreement prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would contribute to the elimination of the nuclear threat, reiterate its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations, in order to reach agreement on such a convention.

Drafts were also introduced today by the representative of Hungary on the Biological Weapons Convention, and by the representative of Poland on the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Speaking in the thematic debate were the representatives of Australia, China, Republic of Korea, Indonesia and Canada.

The Committee will meet again on Wednesday, 22 October, at 10 a.m. to continue its thematic debate and hear introductions of draft texts.

Background

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to continue its thematic debate on other weapons of mass destruction and the disarmament aspects of outer space.  (Yesterday, nuclear weapons were the focus of the thematic debate).

It was also expected to hear the introduction of draft texts on the following:  missiles; measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; reducing nuclear danger; a convention on the prohibition of use of nuclear weapons; arms race in outer space; Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (Biological Weapons Convention); and implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention).

According to a draft resolution sponsored by Egypt, Indonesia, and Iran on missiles (document A/C.1/58/L.4), the Assembly, convinced of the need for a comprehensive, balanced, and non-discriminatory approach towards missiles, as a contribution to international peace and security, and underlining the complexities involved in considering the issue, would take note of the Secretary-General’s relevant report and request him to seek Member States’ views on the matter.

Considering that the hair-trigger alert of nuclear weapons carried unacceptable risks of unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, which would have catastrophic consequences for all mankind, 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, by a text entitled “Reducing nuclear danger” (document A/C.1/58/L.34).

The Assembly would request the five nuclear-weapon States to take measures towards implementation of that provision, and call upon all 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 objective of eliminating nuclear weapons.

The Secretary-General would be requested, among other things, to intensify efforts and support initiatives that would contribute towards the full implementation of the seven recommendations identified in the report of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (document A/56/400) that would significantly reduce the risk of nuclear war.

[Those recommendations are:  de-alerting nuclear weapons; review of nuclear doctrines; further reduction of tactical nuclear weapons as an integral part of the nuclear arms reduction and disarmament process; enhancing security at a global and a regional level by promoting increased transparency of all nuclear weapons programmes; and creating a climate for implementing nuclear disarmament measures.]

The draft resolution is sponsored by Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cuba, Haiti, India, Jordan, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Sudan and Zambia.

Deeply concerned by the growing risk of linkages between terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and particularly by the fact that terrorists might seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction, the Assembly would call on all Member States to support international efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means, according to a draft resolution entitled “Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction” (document A/C.1/58/L.35).

The Assembly would urge Member States to take and strengthen national measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring mass destruction weapons, their delivery means, and materials and technologies related to their manufacture.  It would invite them to inform the Secretary-General, on a voluntary basis, of the measures taken in that regard.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Afghanistan, Bhutan, Colombia, India, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka.

Convinced that a multilateral, universal and binding agreement prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would contribute to the elimination of the nuclear threat, the Assembly would reiterate its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations, in order to reach agreement on such a convention, according to another draft resolution on a nuclear weapons convention (document A/C.1/58/L.36). 

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, Nepal, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Viet Nam and Zambia.

According to a draft resolution sponsored by Hungary on 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.1/58/L.37), the Assembly would note with satisfaction the increase in the number of States parties to the Convention and reaffirm its call on all signatories that had not yet ratified it to do so without delay.  It would call on those States that had not yet signed the Convention to become parties to it at an early date, thus contributing to its universal adherence. 

The Assembly would recall the decision reached at the fifth review conference to hold three annual meetings of States parties of one week duration each year beginning in 2003 until the sixth review conference and to hold a two-week meeting of experts to prepare each meeting of the States parties.  It would also call on the States parties to the Convention to participate in its implementation. 

[Among the decisions and recommendations of the fifth review conference, which was held in Geneva from 19 November to 7 December 2001, and 11 to 22 November 2002, were:  the adoption of necessary national measures to implement the prohibitions set forth in the Convention; national mechanisms to establish and maintain the security and oversight of pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins; enhancing international capabilities for responding to, investigating and mitigating the effects of cases of alleged use of biological or toxin weapons or suspicious outbreaks of disease; strengthening and broadening national and international efforts and existing mechanisms for the surveillance, detection, diagnosis and combating of infectious disease affecting humans, animals, and plants; and the content, promulgation, and adoption of codes of conduct for scientists.]

Under the terms of a draft resolution submitted by Poland, on implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction (Chemical Weapons Convention) (document A/C.1/58/L.41), the Assembly would underline that the Convention and its implementation contributed to enhancing international peace and security.  It would emphasize that its full, universal and effective implementation would further contribute to that purpose by excluding completely, for the sake of all humankind, the possibility of the use of chemical weapons. 

The Assembly would stress the importance to the Convention 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, and welcomed progress to that end.

It would urge all States parties to the Convention to meet in full and on time their obligations and to support the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in its implementation activities. 

According to the draft resolution on the prevention of an arms race in outer space (document A/C.1/58/L.44), the Assembly, recognizing that the prevention of an outer space arms race would avert a grave danger for international peace and security, would reaffirm the importance and urgency of preventing such an arms race and the readiness of all States to contribute to that common objective.

The Assembly would reaffirm its recognition that the legal regime applicable to outer space did not, in and of itself, guarantee the prevention of an outer space arms race, that the regime played a significant role in the prevention of an arms race in that environment, that there was a need to consolidate and reinforce that regime and enhance its effectiveness and that it was important to comply strictly with existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral.

It would call on all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the peaceful use of outer space and of the prevention of an arms race there, 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.

The Conference on Disarmament would be invited to establish an ad hoc committee on the issue as early as possible during its 2004 session. 

The draft resolution is sponsored by Algeria, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia.

(Additional co-sponsors from draft resolutions and decisions submitted yesterday were:  the illicit small arms trade (L.1), Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Solomon Islands, Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Ukraine, and Canada; conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels (L.10), Germany; Regional Centre in Asia and the Pacific (L. 21), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; objective information and transparency on military expenditures L.32), Ukraine; reducing nuclear danger (L.34), Fiji; preventing the terrorist acquisition of mass destruction weapons (L. 35), Fiji; nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere (L.38), Mongolia; Ottawa Convention (L. 43), Fiji, Papua New Guinea; transparency in armaments (L.45), Armenia, Papua New Guinea; treaty banning fissile material for nuclear weapons (L. 49), Estonia, Venezuela; Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (L.50), Mongolia, Ukraine, Fiji; assistance to States to curb illicit small arms trade (L. 51), Germany; Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) (L. 52), Ukraine; and path to the total elimination of nuclear weapons (L. 53), Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Ukraine.)

Statements

GEOFFREY SHAW (Australia) said that, in the interest of collective security, he supported all efforts to address the threats of weapons of mass destruction, especially those efforts that could deliver tangible results.  The Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions played an essential role in that respect.  He fully supported the multilateral programme of work under the Biological Weapons Convention, and he had been particularly encouraged by the active participation of experts from all regions of the world.  Working together, it would be possible to strengthen implementation of that Convention, in the areas of legislation and biosecurity, thereby reducing the potential for the misuse of biological agents.  He, therefore, looked forward to continuing that important work at the first annual meeting of States parties in November.

In that context, he said he welcomed and fully supported the draft text on the Biological Weapons Convention (document A/C.1/58/L.37), to be introduced by Hungary.  He particularly welcomed those provisions that gave expression to the outcomes of the Fifth Review Conference and those that called on all States parties to participate in their implementation.  Similarly, he welcomed the outcomes of the first Chemical Weapons Convention conference in The Hague earlier this year, and fully supported the relevant draft resolution (document A/C.1/58/L.41), to be introduced by Poland.  He especially welcomed those paragraphs calling for full and effective implementation of all provisions of that Convention.

HU XIAODI (China) told delegates that his country last week had successfully conducted its first manned-spacecraft flight.  In that context, he said China would continue to promote the peaceful use of outer space and help prevent an arms race there.  Nevertheless, the risk of the weaponization of outer space was mounting.  Therefore, it was essential for countries to begin working now in order to combat that threat.  After all, it only took the actions of one country to lead to an arms race.  In that regard, he suggested the drafting of an international legal agreement designed to prevent the deployment of weapons in outer space.

For its part, his Government had joined other countries in submitting a working paper, entitled “Possible elements for a future international legal agreement on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against outer space objects,” to the Conference on Disarmament.  Other countries had taken additional positive steps.  For example, the Russian Federation had announced that it would not be the first country to deploy offensive strike weapons in outer space.  Declaring that, over the past years, the General Assembly had adopted many resolutions on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, he said his Government would once again co-sponsor the relevant draft resolution in the First Committee (document A/C.1/58/L.44).

      TIBOR TOTH (Hungary), introducing the draft resolution on the Biological Weapons Convention (document A/C.1/58/L.37), said the text in its preambular portion, noted with satisfaction that there were   150 States parties to that Convention, including all of the permanent members of the Security Council.  The text referred to the call of the General Assembly upon all States parties to participate in the implementation of the recommendations of the review conferences, including the exchange of information and data, as agreed at the third review conference.  It also welcomed the reaffirmation made in the final declaration of the fourth review conference that, under all circumstances, the use of biological weapons and their development, production and stockpiling were effectively prohibited under article I of the Convention.  It also recalled the decision reached at the fifth review conference to hold three annual meetings, starting in 2003, until the sixth review conference.

Among its operative provisions, he said, the draft reaffirmed its call on all signatory States that had not yet ratified that instrument to do so without delay, and on those who had not signed to become parties at an early state, thus contributing to achieving universal adherence.  It also welcomed the information and data provided to date, and reiterated its call on all States to participate in such exchanges.  His expectation was that the text would be adopted without a vote.

PRASAD KARIYAWASAM (Sri Lanka), introducing the draft resolution on prevention of an arms race in outer space (document A/C.1/58/L.44), said it had been a privilege for his delegation, together with that of Egypt, to table that important draft resolution.  This year, he had been joined by an unprecedented number of co-sponsors.  Although almost all belonged to the Non-Aligned Movement of countries (NAM), he believed that the thrust and substance of the text represented the preponderant will of all the people of the world.  He firmly believed that outer space, as the next frontier of humankind, should remain a peaceful arena for all time.  It would be the greatest folly of the human race to allow outer space to become the next arena for an arms race, at a time when most people on earth lived precariously, both socially and economically, and were affected by multifaceted conflicts.

He said “we simply cannot afford a terrestrial arms competition at this junction in human history”.  Precious human, material and energy resources were required for more noble purposes than fighting wars in a new frontier.  Recent terrorist acts provided ample reason for Member States to assess ways to ensure security.  It was both an individual and collective responsibility to search for solutions to confront that abominable phenomenon.  It was becoming more evident that a weapons-based approach was not a panacea for human security, including terrorism.  Even the deployment of “exotic” weapons, with overwhelming firepower, could not completely secure human security in a world that was globalizing, democratizing and liberalizing.

He said that there had been several suggestions either to alter or strengthen the text, based on national positions and priorities.  He respected the preference of some countries for a gradual step-by-step approach towards arriving at a solution.  In that context, and in the spirit of compromise, he had tabled a text similar to that of last year’s with only technical updates.  The sponsors were mindful that the draft should enjoy the widest, if not, universal support, so that the general collective will of the international community could be manifested in one text.  Adoption of the draft would contribute towards long overdue action on that issue, both within the Conference on Disarmament, and elsewhere.

JACEK JANUCHOWSKI (Poland) introduced a draft resolution on the Chemical Weapons Convention (document A/C.1/58/L.41).  He told delegates that, this year, the Convention’s first review conference in The Hague had determined that the need for the instrument’s full implementation had become more significant in light of the global fight against terrorism.  Declaring that it was important for the United Nations to adopt a resolution that would promote and support the objectives of the Convention, he said he had prepared a new draft text based on the review conference’s outcomes.  Calling for consensus on this year’s draft, he said broad support was crucial for true implementation.

He noted that the draft at hand contained major changes from last year’s version.  Six new operative paragraphs had been added.  Operative paragraph 10, for example, stressed the importance of international cooperation for the first time.  Wishing to ensure the broadest geographical support possible, he remarked that he had been considering opening the text for co-sponsorship.  However, in the end, he decided that such a move might compromise the integrity of the text.  Stressing that the present draft was well balanced and would have the United Nations support all provisions of the Convention, he asked delegates to adopt it

ANTON VASILIEV (Russian Federation) said the benefits that the international community could gain from outer space included the ability to monitor the environment, counteract natural disasters, assist navigational activities, improve telecommunications, and broaden television and radio coverage.  For that reason, outer space must remain a platform for international cooperation and not be converted into another theatre for military operations.  In that context, he expressed support for the draft on preventing an arms race in outer space (document A/C.1/58/L.44), which had been introduced today by Sri Lanka.

Expressing concern that one could not exclude the possibility of weapons being stationed in outer space in the future, he lamented that international law currently did not make such assurances.  Warning delegates of the dangers associated with the “weaponization” of outer space, he said the international community must, therefore, show political will to prevent such a threat.  He labelled the theme as one of his delegation’s priorities and called for confidence-building measures in space, as well as transparency and predictability in space exploration.

For its part, his Government supported a moratorium on placing weapons in outer space.  Through an additional initiative, it had presented information on the planned launches of space vehicles on the web site of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  His delegation had also put forth a working paper to the Conference on Disarmament, together with the Chinese and other delegations.  That paper had received positive attention and aroused much interest.

He expressed particular support for the draft’s fifth operative paragraph, by which the Assembly would reiterate that the Conference on Disarmament had the primary role in negotiating a multilateral agreement to prevent an arms race in outer space.  In that context, he said his Government would make compromises to allow the Conference to adopt a programme of work and immediately begin talks on the outer space theme.  He called for the adoption of the draft by consensus.

Mr. PARK (Republic of Korea) said it had been encouraging that, throughout the Committee’s general debate, many delegations had acknowledged the positive developments in the field of chemical and biological weapons.  He appreciated the detailed briefing by the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the achievements and the tasks that lay ahead for that Convention.  A political declaration, agreed by consensus at the first review conference, had confirmed the basic premise of the chemical weapons ban.  That consensus, in itself, had been an important achievement, as that had been the result of a multilateral effort at a time when weapons of mass destruction proliferation and non-compliance issues challenged the international community.

He said that, without universal adherence to that Convention, the ultimate goal of a world free of chemical weapons could not be achieved.  In that context, he had been pleased that the OPCW Director General had noted, in particular, the need for key countries in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula to accede to the Convention.  All States parties that had not yet ratified the Convention should do so.  Universality was necessary to cope with the increasing threat of chemical terrorism and other risks associated with the proliferation of dangerous chemical materials.  The Secretary-General had stated that the Convention, if fully implemented, could be a powerful instrument in preventing the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists.  Its universal adherence and full implementation was the most effective guarantee against weapons of mass destruction falling into the wrong hands.

He said he, therefore, fully supported the draft on the Chemical Weapons Convention, which greatly bolstered the Convention’s three pillars, namely universality, full and effective implementation, and technical cooperation.  The increasing need for safety and security of biological materials must also be addressed in the face of an ever-expanding threat posed by those weapons in the current international security environment.  Thus, he also supported the draft on the Biological Weapons Convention, which injected fresh impetus into the new process agreed at the fifth review conference.

SALEEM IQBAL SHERVANI (India) introduced a draft resolution on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction (document A/C.1/58/L.35).  He said he had first introduced a version of the draft last year to address growing concern on the topic throughout the world.  The adoption of last year’s version without a vote showed the wide support it had enjoyed.

Declaring that the world must acknowledge the possibility of terrorists and other non-State actors gaining access to such weapons, he said one could not simply wait for a catastrophic incident to take place before acting.  In that context, he called for continued wide support for the draft, so that a strong collective response to terrorism would be issued.

REZA NAJAFI (Iran), introducing the draft resolution on missiles (document A/C.1/58/L.4), said the text was being presented for the fifth consecutive year and, like previous drafts, Egypt and Indonesia were co-sponsors. 

Following the establishment of the first-ever United Nations panel of governmental experts on the issue of missiles in all its aspects, in response to General Assembly resolution 51/53 A, the first United Nations study on missiles had been submitted to the fifty-seventh session in the form of a report (document A/57/229), he continued.  It had been welcomed last year by the General Assembly and also by the Thirteenth Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in February 2003.  The final document of the latter meeting welcomed that report, which had marked the first time the United Nations had taken up that issue.  It noted with satisfaction the convening of another panel of governmental experts to further explore the issue. 

He said that, in response to resolution 57/71, some countries, including his own, had transmitted their views on the panel’s report, which were contained in the report of the Secretary-General before the Committee (document A/58/117 and its addendums).  The present draft would have the Assembly take note of that compilation and give another chance to States to convey their opinions on the question.  Taking into account the complexity of the subject, it was imperative to further study it.  The panel, itself, had stated that the issues it had identified should be further explored.  In repeating the request for the Panel to do so, the present draft added a phrase referring to the establishment of the panel on the basis of geographical distribution.

Missiles were a main component of military operations and strategies, he said.  Today, a permanent role had been reserved for missiles in military planning.  Missiles were part and parcel of nuclear weapons, as one means of their delivery.  Similarly, in the conventional weapons sphere, many countries and military alliances had defined a specific role for missiles for both offensive and defensive purposes.  Indeed, missiles were a global issue and, thus, could not be addressed with partial or narrowly defined measures.  Some missiles, which could carry nuclear warheads by submarines, had truly demonstrated that that issue should be considered in all its aspects.  Recent news reports on the possibility deploying cruise missiles had challenged the claims of those who were arguing that only ballistic missiles were the real danger. 

Hopefully, he added, the establishment of a second United Nations expert panel and their deliberations would lead to a better understanding of that global issue, as well as complementary measures to secure the international community against those threats.  That should also lead to the preparation of specific recommendations aimed at dispelling the concerns of all States on the issue. 

WICAKSONO ADJI (Indonesia) lauded progress made in making the Chemical Weapons Convention more universal, but regretted the stalemate that had prevented the addition of a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention.  Turning to weapons of mass destruction, he warned delegates that developments related to lasers, space-based weapons, and directed-energy systems could lead to the creation of even more dangerous weapons in the future.  In that context, he called for the appropriate forums to adequately address such threats.

Regarding outer space, he said the controversy surrounding the prevention of an arms race there had contributed to the stalemate in the Conference on Disarmament.  That was unfortunate, since existing international agreements were not sufficient to counter such a risk.  Thus, he called for future legal regimes that would ban any military use of outer space and promote its exploration by all nations for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all humankind.

Mr. VASILEV (Russian Federation) said that recent events had demonstrated the importance of and need for the United Nations to consider the issue of missiles in all its aspects.  Experience had shown how timely it was to raise that issue, which had been reflected in the text adopted last year by the Assembly.  He had traditionally voted in favour of that resolution, and would do so again this year.  His position had been dictated by the need to find a solution to the problems raised by the potential threat of missiles, thereby fostering international security and stability.  Thanks to the panel’s study, the international community had undertaken an in-depth examination of that issue.  He was strongly convinced that that should remain a subject of multilateral discussions in the United Nations.

He said that only when that issue was dealt with by the most universal and representative organization would it be possible to reach an outcome beneficial to the whole international community.  Now, following the adoption of The Hague Code of Conduct on preventing the proliferation of ballistic missiles, it was necessary to give a further impetus to the panel’s work and ensure that it could develop legal documents in that area.  It was important to focus on consideration of concrete measures, aimed at preventing missile proliferation, while not infringing on legitimate security interests and the economic development of States.  Given the necessary political will, it should be possible, in the near future, to develop recommendations with respect to United Nations activities in the missile field.  Hopefully, it would be possible to consider the development of an international treaty to create a global missile non- proliferation regime.

The precondition now existed for the United Nations to continue its work in that regard, he stressed.  A number of recommendations, including the Russian idea to establish a global monitoring system for missile technology, had arisen, following the adoption of the resolution on missiles last year.  The current draft and the Secretary-General’s report provided the necessary and correct guidelines for future work in that sphere.

BRIAN PARAI (Canada) said space security, one of his country’s most important priorities, necessarily entailed safe, peaceful, and equitable access to outer space by all nations.  In that context, he warned that any use of outer space for military matters and any resulting arms races needed to be avoided at all costs.  Calling for an integrated treatment of interrelated space issues, he suggested that such bodies as the International Telecommunications Union, the Conference on Disarmament, and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space should cooperate with each other and develop a multilateral instrument designed to prevent the weaponization of outer space.

Declaring that space remained the only environment to which humankind had not introduced armaments, he said one of the best ways to ensure space security was to craft an agreement prohibiting orbital weapons.  Instead of carrying out destruction, satellites could communicate with each other in order to help the environment, assist search and rescue missions, and aid global policing, among other things.  Stating that weaponization would undermine global security, he stressed the need to negotiate a convention on the prohibition of an arms race in outer space.  In that regard, he was encouraged by the resumption of work in the Conference on Disarmament and looked forward to cooperating with like-minded States to make progress on the topic. 

Mr. PARK (Republic of Korea) said that the growing proliferation of mass destruction weapons had been matched with increasing alarm over missiles, the first choice of delivery systems for those weapons.  Unregulated development, testing, deployment and spread of ballistic missiles had given rise to grave concern, particularly in regions of high tension.  Despite international efforts to address the problem, no global instrument yet existed.  In that context, he welcomed and supported The Hague Code of Conduct.  Due to the great speed of ballistic missiles, their penetration capability, increasing accuracy, deployment options, and all-weather capability, those missiles had long posed a significant regional and global security threat.

He said that, as was well documented in the panel’s report, the increasing numbers, ranges and technological sophistication of those weapons were an overriding security concern.  The potentially lethal combination of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction warranted urgent collective efforts to cap missile proliferation.  It was by no means a coincidence that the most serious concerns about ballistic missile proliferation persisted in regions where the threat of weapons of mass destruction proliferation was the highest.  Against that backdrop, The Hague Code could serve as an initiative upon which the International Community could build, by promoting responsible behaviour in the ballistic missile field.

Through its transparency and confidence-building measures, the Code could complement and reinforce measures already in existence at the regional and national levels.  Hopefully, the Code would achieve universal adherence in the near future.  His country would again contribute to the work of the expert United Nations panel.

VENKATESH VARMA (India) presented the draft resolution entitled “Reducing nuclear danger” (document A/C.1/58/L.34).  Stating that, despite the end of the cold war, the legacy of nuclear danger still remained, he stressed that the risk of accidental launches of nuclear weapons was a serious one.  He also told delegates that the threat of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of non-State actors was a very pressing concern.  For such reasons, his delegation had first introduced a version of the present draft in 1998.  It had consistently received wide support.

Acknowledging that negotiating a non-discriminatory instrument related to nuclear weapons might take a long time, he stressed that that should not deter countries from taking interim steps to combat the dangers posed by such arms, especially in light of increased global terrorism.  Adding that the draft’s recommendations aimed to ensure the safety of mankind from accidental launches and false alarms, he said the text was simple and did not refer to any issues that might be contentious.  Therefore, he expressed hope that it would receive the widest support possible.

Also introducing a draft resolution on a convention on the prohibition of use of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/58/L.36), he said that, as long as certain States claimed the legitimate right to possess such weapons, serious problems would remain, especially since non-State actors might gain access to them.  Stressing that threats from nuclear States would not disappear until such weapons were completely eradicated, he maintained that, at the political level, no-first use policies and guarantees not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States, were good first steps.  He added that the Conference on Disarmament should show flexibility and commence negotiations on a legally binding convention.

PAUL MEYER (Canada) said that missile proliferation, especially of those capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, significantly challenged global stability.  It should be born in mind that the uncertain post-September 11 security environment had illuminated the possibility that terrorists could obtain deadly missile systems, with potentially horrific consequences.  Member States had had a certain degree of success in grappling with the issue of mass destruction weapons in an array of legally binding treaties and treaty bodies, yet there was no universal norm, treaty or agreement on missiles.  As noted by the panel, there was not even a universal accepted classification standard for missiles.  Despite that gap in international law, genuine progress had been made since the Committee met last.

He noted that in November 2002, The Hague Code had been launched, which had been a positive step towards preventing proliferation of ballistic missiles.  The Code, however, was a voluntary, non-binding set of principles and confidence-building measures.  Among other things, subscriber States agreed to notify each other in advance of such launches.  That was the first attempt by the international community to set out some basic principles in the missile field, and well over 100 States had signed up.  He urged countries that had not yet subscribed, to do so as soon as possible.  Hopefully, that would build momentum, leading to an international, legally binding instrument.

There was a long road ahead in achieving that goal, he said, adding that the Code was not the only approach adopted to addressing that problem.  As a founding member and chair of the Missile Control Regime, he called on the United Nations to remain seized of the missile question.  The work done by the panel for the last session had been an initial “scene setting” exercise.  It should move beyond that initial analysis and begin to consider how the Organization could take concrete steps to address concerns.  He also emphasized the complementary nature of various international efforts in the field, and indicated his willingness to consider further proposals in that regard.

SYLVESTER EKUNDAYO ROWE (Sierra Leone) briefly took the floor to present a non-paper on the work of the Committee.  He said that, to streamline the Committee’s work, not so many draft resolutions and reports were needed, and the number of meetings could be decreased.

Mr. NAJAFI (Iran) said that, with respect to the revitalization of the Committee’s work, no one had, as of yet, agreed on such a mandate.  Only informal discussions on the issue had taken place last week.

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