CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS AGENDA FOR 2004 SESSION

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS AGENDA FOR 2004 SESSION

Hears Statement by Syria on Making

Middle East Free from Weapons of Mass Destruction

GENEVA, 27 January (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament this morning adopted by consensus its agenda for its 2004 session and heard a statement from Syria which called for turning the Middle East into an area free from weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons.

Syria said that it had repeatedly urged the importance of making the Middle East area free of weapons of mass destruction.  The latest initiative had been presented by Syria in the name of the Arab Group to the United Nations Security Council in 2003.  It urged that no exceptions be allowed for any country in the Middle East.  Notes concerning the initiative had also been sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Security Council.

Following the adoption of the agenda, Ambassador Amina Mohamed of Kenya, President of the Conference on Disarmament, said that it was her understanding that if there was consensus in the Conference to deal with any other issue, it could be dealt with within the agenda.

The agenda (document CD/WP.533) contains issues pertaining to the cessation of the nuclear arms race  and nuclear disarmament; prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters; prevention of an arms race in outer space; effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons; comprehensive programme of disarmament; transparency in armaments; and consideration and adoption of the annual report and any other report to the General Assembly.

The Conference approved requests from Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece and Jordan to participate as non-members in the work of the Conference during its 2004 session.

The next plenary of the Conference will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 29 January 2004.

Statement

MIKHAIL WEHBE (Syria) welcomed the adoption of the Conference on Disarmament’s agenda for this year.  Syria attached great importance to the issue of regional security which could only be established with the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction by all States, without exception.  Syria had always called for the Middle East to become a zone which was free of weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons.  In 2003, the Government of Syria, on behalf of the Arab States, had presented an initiative to the United Nations Security Council.  The Syrian head of State had also highlighted the initiative during his recent visit to Greece.  Syria would like to see a binding instrument to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.  At the same time, any treaty to stop the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons should include the stockpiles of such fissile materials which formed a dangerous threat to international peace and security.

Ambassador Wehbe said that the initiative of having the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction had been presented by Syria many times, including to the Paris conference on chemical weapons.  Many international forums had also called for the Middle East to become free of weapons of mass destruction, including the General Assembly which annually adopted such resolutions, most recently resolution 58 of December 2003.  Syria had tabled an initiative in the name of the Arab countries and based it on relevant legal instruments of the United Nations.  The initiative underlined the importance of eliminating the threat of weapons of mass destruction being owned by terrorist groups.

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