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Government
Proposals on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Excerpts
from Proposals made at the Non-Proliferation Treaty
Review and Extension Conference to Strengthen the
International Non-Proliferation Regime
25 April
1995
Compiled
by Dan Plesch and Stephen Young
Content
Introduction
Preamble
Article I and II
Article III
Article IV
Article VI
Article VII
Article VIII
Many proposals to
strengthen to working of the NPT have been made to the Conference since it
opened on 17 April. This paper provides excerpts from
speeches in order to make the proposals more readily
available.
Proposals are included
primarily for one of three reasons:
- It is a new proposal,
such as South Africa's call for a stronger review
process.
- The proposal is being
put forth by a new proponent. For example, the
Non-Aligned Movement has frequently called for a
time table for nuclear disarmament, and such
calls are not repeated here. Sweden, Switzerland,
and New Zealand, have also made strong calls at
the Conference for a time table for further
disarmament, and excerpts from those are
included.
- The proposal is not
new, but is little known. For example, Uzbekistan
has called for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in
Central Asia.
Many states have called
for prompt conclusion of a Comprehensive Test Ban,
agreement on a fissile material cut-off, stronger
commitments to nuclear disarmament, and a range of other
issues. Those proposals, although vitally important and
substantive, are not listed here.
The proposals are
organized by the relevant NPT article, and are generally
grouped by topic within that frame, but appear in no
particular order.
Every effort was made to
be comprehensive, but difficulty in obtaining all the
texts and time constraints meant that some relevant
proposals are not listed here.
Unless otherwise noted,
the excerpt comes from a speech made in the General
Debate.
Top of Page
Multilateral Security
Assurances
Switzerland, Ambassador
Robert Mayor, 20 April 1995
"In our view,
the nuclear weapon states should commit themselves in
an unconditional and unambiguous way, in a
multilateral treaty, never to use or to threat[en] to
use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states
who have renounced nuclear weapons. The absence of
such assurances provides arguments for those who
consider the NPT as unequal." p.4
Sweden, Mr. Jan Eliasson,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
20 April 1995
"We take note
of the recent security assurances given by the five
nuclear-weapon States and the resolution thereafter
adopted by the United Nations Security Council. These
unilateral declarations could form a basis for a
negotiated treaty on negative security assurances and
could be further developed into declarations of
no-first-use of nuclear weapons." p. 4-5
Top of Page
Nuclear Cooperation
Australia, H.E. Mr.
Richard Starr, Ambassador for Disarmament, to Main
Committee I, 19 April 1995
"It is
imperative that all states parties - nuclear weapons
states and non-nuclear weapon states alike - comply
scrupulously and unreservedly, in all their
activities, with these basic obligations and their
intent, in order to strengthen the confidence of
other states parties in the security offered by their
commitments to the treaty.
We would like
therefore to see a reaffirmation by the nuclear
weapons states that their nuclear cooperation is, and
shall be at all times, consistent with Article
1."p.1-2
New Zealand, to Main
Committee I, 20 April 1995
NWS and NNWS should
"recommit themselves to strict and full
observance of Articles I and II."
Top of Page
ARTICLE III
Compliance Body
Sri Lanka, Ambassador H.L.
De Silva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the
United Nations, 19 April 1995
"Consideration
might be given to the feasibility of having a
mechanism able to address compliance (with Article
III) issues. Such a body offers a graduated approach
for promoting compliance and could minimize tensions
which will inevitably arise when recourse is had to
the enforcement measures of the Security Council. It
will also enhance confidence in the Treaty. One
possibility would be an institution based on the
Treaty regimes of the Chemical Weapons Convention and
the Biological Weapons Convention." p. 3
Safeguards
Ireland, Mr. Dick Spring,
T.D.,Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18 April
1995
"The decision
of the United States to place excess fissile material
for weapons purposes under safeguards is welcome.
Ireland would like the Review Conference to emphasize
the need for such fissile material to be place under
IAEA safeguards." p.4 Switzerland, Ambassador
Robert Mayor, 20 April 1995 "The dismantlement
of nuclear weapons should be carried out in a safe
way. The resulting fissile materials should be placed
under international surveillance. If there is to be
real nuclear disarmament, it must be assured that
these materials can never again be used for the
fabrication of new weapons." p.3
Netherlands, Hans Van
Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 1995
"This is
precisely why I would like to urge this Conference to
accept the principle of the application of full scope
safeguards on all peaceful nuclear activities, in
nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states
alike, without discrimination." p.5
Australia, Senator the Hon
Gareth Evans QC, Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18 April
1995
"An aspect of
these controls which is of particular interest to
Australia is the centrality of fullscope IAEA
safeguards as a condition of nuclear supply to
non-nuclear weapon states. Australia and a group of
other states pursued this initiative with
considerable success at the Fourth Review Conference,
and because of a concern to tighten supply
arrangements in the wake of the Gulf War, the
fullscope safeguards supply principle - that nuclear
supply to non-nuclear weapon states should only be on
the basis of their having accepted comprehensive IAEA
safeguards - has now become the accepted
international standard for nuclear supply to
non-nuclear weapon states. The principle has, in
response to the debate at the 1990 Conference, been
adopted by the Nuclear Supplier Group, and is now
formally incorporated into its supply guidelines. The
principle is a most important one which had made a
significant contribution to strengthening the
non-proliferation regime. I commend it wholeheartedly
to the Conference and I hope that members will
endorse it by consensus in reviewing the operations
of the Treaty." p. 8-9
Germany, H.E. Mr. Wolfgang
Hoffman, to Main Committee II, 20 April 1995
"3. . .
.Germany thus strongly supports the requirement for
full-scope safeguards as a condition for all new
nuclear supply contracts and applies this principle
in its own nuclear trade policy. It calls upon all
nuclear supplier states that have not yet done so to
incorporate this condition of full-scope safeguards
into their own supply policies.
"4. The
principle of the universal application of IAEA
safeguards should be indivisible. ... (Germany) calls
upon all nuclear weapon states to subject their
peaceful nuclear activities to the safeguards that
are applied to non-nuclear weapon states under the
provisions of the NPT." p.2
Iran, His Excellency Dr.
Ali Akbar Velayati, 21 April 1995
"(A)ll nuclear
facilities and installations must be placed under
IAEA safeguards." p.4
Fissile Materials
Germany, Dr. Klaus Kinkel,
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18 April 1995
"4. In order
to make the nuclear disarmament process irreversible,
no more fissionable materials must be allowed to be
produced for weapon purposes; weapons-grade
fissionable material from dismantled weaponry must
not be used to build new weapons and must not fall
into the hands of nuclear smugglers. Hundreds of
tonnes of spare plutonium must be reliably monitored.
I repeat this in the context of my proposal for an
international plutonium regime." p.4
Norway, Bjorn Tore Godal,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 19 April 1995
"Concrete
steps must be taken to establish a regime that would
include declarations of stockpiles of all
weapons-grade materials, accompanied by other
appropriate transparency measures." p.5
Belgium, Mr. E. Derycke,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 1995
"This is why
we want controls applied to fissile materials coming
from the dismantling of arsenals as well as to all
civilian nuclear activities of the States possessing
nuclear weapons." p.3
Fissile Cut-off and
Stockpiles
Sweden, Mr. Jan Eliasson,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
20 April 1995
"We welcome
the recent decision by the Conference on Disarmament
to start negotiations on a treaty on cut-off of
production of fissile weapons materials. In our
opinion, not only future production but also existing
stockpiles should be the subject of these
negotiations." p.5
Top of Page
ARTICLE IV
Safe Waste Depositories
The Marshall Islands, H.E.
Mr. Wilfred I. Kendall, Ambassador, 21 April 1995
"(I)t is a key
concern of my government that there is a lack of safe
waste depositories anywhere in the world. It is a
worrying problem, that so little attention is given
to the disposal of the waste resulting from the
dismantling of civilian reactors and military
weapons, let alone the nuclear contamination in our
islands. We believe that this Conference should
review article IV.2, with a view to finding a way to
help us clean up radioactive contamination around the
globe. . . .We call on the international community to
mobilize resources at its disposal to study the
feasibility of setting up such an international waste
depository. This should of course need to take
account of the highest environmental standards, and
should be located in a geologically stable area, away
from population centers and maritime trade
routes." p.2-3
Top of Page
ARTICLE VI
Elimination of Tactical
Nuclear Weapons
Finland, H.E. Ms. Tarja
Halonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, 19 April 1995
"We urge rapid
withdrawal from operational use of all the remaining
tactical nuclear weapons and their subsequent
elimination." p.4
Timetable for
Disarmament
Switzerland, Ambassador
Robert Mayor, 20 April 1995
"This
conference would be the appropriate moment for all
states to reaffirm their commitment to a complete
elimination of weapons of mass-destruction within
precise deadlines." p.3
Sweden, Mr. Jan Eliasson,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
20 April 1995
"The
international community should reaffirm its
commitment to progressively eliminate nuclear and
other weapons of mass destruction from all nations,
and should initiate a programme to make that goal a
reality in ten to fifteen years." p.6
Five party talks
Switzerland, Ambassador
Robert Mayor, 20 April 1995
"In accepting
an indefinite extension, we trust that the nuclear
powers commit themselves, with determination and
without considerations of prestige, to the road of
disarmament. To be specific, we expect that until the
review conference of the year 2000, treaties on a
complete test ban and on a cut-off of the production
of fissile materials for explosive purposes have
entered into force. Furthermore, all five nuclear
weapons states should have agreed upon a time-frame
for progressive substantial reductions in their
arsenals." p.5
Sweden, Mr. Jan Eliasson,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
20 April 1995
"We now expect
the necessary steps to be taken for START II to enter
into force as soon as possible. This would provide a
basis for further nuclear disarmament, involving all
nuclear-weapon states." p.4 (emphasis in
original)
Russia, Ambassador G.V.
Berdennikov, to Main Committee I, 20 April 1995
"Moreover, the
Russian Federation considers that with Russia and the
United States radically reducing their nuclear
arsenals the time has come for other nuclear powers
to join the process of the reduction and limitation
of nuclear arms.
"Taking this
into account the President of Russia, in his address
to the forty-ninth session of the UN General
Assembly, put forward a proposal to make the nuclear
disarmament talks multilateral and irreversible. It
was suggested that the five nuclear powers develop a
"Nuclear Security and Strategic Stability
Treaty".
"The new
Russian initiative, of course, takes into account
that the five nuclear-weapon States currently possess
differing nuclear potentials. The proposed measures
could, therefore, be carried out on a step-by-step
basis with regard to the specifics of their nuclear
arsenals."
Ukraine, His Excellency
Mr. Gennadi Udovenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18
April 1995
"In this
connection Ukraine would welcome the confirmation of
obligations, undertaken by all nuclear weapon
States-Parties under Article VI of the Treaty. [The
i]nternational community has a right to expect speedy
ratification of START II by the parties. The
willingness of the United Kingdom, France and China
to take part in the negotiations on the reduction of
strategic offensive weapons could be more definitely
reflected in the Final Act of the Conference."
p.3
South Africa, Mr TF
Wheeler, to Main Committee I, 20 April 1995
"The time may
also be right for considering whether the arsenals of
the other Nuclear Weapon States should not be
included in this process." p.3
Netherlands, Hans Van
Mierlo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Plenary, 18
April 1995
"We believe
that in the new climate prevailing today, all five
nuclear weapon states can and should engage in
further arms control and disarmament negotiations.
Security Council Resolution 984 that was adopted last
week, provides the non-nuclear weapons states party
to the NPT with security assurances and solemnly
reaffirms the obligation of the nuclear weapon states
to pursue negotiations in good faith, leading to
nuclear disarmament." p.3
Australia, Senator the Hon
Gareth Evans QC, Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18 April
1995
"We must press
ahead toward the goal of elimination of nuclear
weapons. This Conference must provide the environment
in which the process of deep reductions agreed
between the United States and Russia can be continued
and accelerated, including by moving on to a START
III agreement. We look to the three smaller nuclear
weapon states to join in this process of disarmament
at the earliest appropriate opportunity." p.5
Disarmament talks
New Zealand, to Main
Committee I, 20 April
"...looking
further ahead states parties could agree to explore
soon, and certainly before the holding of the next
NPT Review Conference in the year 2000 . . .
negotiated and verifiable measures to bring a
permanent end to vertical proliferation. This goal
could be achieved through measures to end the
qualitative improvement and development of all types
of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery."
"An
elaboration of their (NWS) plans for further specific
measures to reduce their nuclear arsenals would be an
important contribution to the success of the
Conference."
Philippines, Ambassador
Reynaldo O. Arcilla, 24 April 1995
"(T)he
Philippines would like to urge this Conference to
call for immediate negotiations on a Comprehensive
Nuclear Disarmament Treaty which should be
participated in by all nuclear weapon states, whether
declared or de facto. Such a Treaty should spell out
the steps to be taken by the NWS towards full nuclear
disarmament, as well as the time frame within which
to accomplish it." p.5
United Kingdom, Rt Hon
Douglas Hurd CBE MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs, 18 April 1995.
"But there is
no doubt that in a world in which American and
Russian nuclear forces were numbered in hundreds
rather than thousands would be one in which the UK
would respond to the challenge of multilateral
nuclear arms control talks."
France, Ambassador Gerard
Herrara, for France, Russian, the United States and the
United Kingdom, at the Conference on Disarmament, 5 April
1995 (included for reference)
"We solemnly
reaffirm our commitment, as stated in Article VI, to
pursue negotiations in good faith on effective
measures relating to nuclear disarmament, which
remains our ultimate goal."
Top of Page
ARTICLE VII
Nuclear Weapons Free
Zones
Peru, 20 April 1995
"...Peru
suggested consideration of measures aimed at
harmonizing and effectively linking the
nuclear-weapon-free zones of the southern hemisphere
through the treaties of Tlatelolco, of Rarotonga, and
of the Antarctic, and those which would be
established in Africa and the South Atlantic. We
envisage an entire hemisphere free of nuclear
weapons." p. 2-3 Uzbekistan, H.E. Ambassador
Fatikh G. Teshabaev, 21 April 1995 "Republic of
Uzbekistan after its independence submitted the
appeal for declaring Central Asia as a nuclear
weapons free zone." p.2
Belarus, Uladzimir Syanko,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 1995
"In our view,
the existing and emerging nuclear-free zones are
important contributors to consolidating the
non-proliferation regime. Here it would be recalled
that Belarus mentioned a possibility to create this
kind of zone in the center of Europe as far back as
in 1990. Today, with Ukraine's recent decision on
being non-nuclear, one could speak of specific
grounds for the implementation of this idea. We are
somewhat concerned, however, about possible risks of
more and more places in Europe being used for nuclear
weapons deployment in case of NATO's geographical
expansion." p.2-3
Top of Page
Stronger review process
Singapore, Ms. Viji Menon,
Head of the Delegation, 20 April 1995
"We would also
like to see the establishment of a strong review
mechanism to monitor and ensure that all parties meet
their obligations under the NPT." p 4
South Africa, Mr TF
Wheeler, to Main Committee I, 20 April 1995
"1. The
adoption of a set of "Principles for Nuclear
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament". These
Principles would, as was the case in the Preamble of
the Treaty, set out the general obligations and goals
which State Parties would strive for. They would take
into account the current international environment,
which is very different from that which existed when
the Treaty was negotiated. These Principles would not
be an amendment of the Treaty; they would rather
focus attention on the importance of these goals.
Commitment to these Principles would be renewed at
every Review to ensure that they are dynamic and that
they adapt to changing international circumstances.
They would not be conditions which could lead to the
termination of the Treaty, but would rather be the
yardstick by which all State Parties can measure
their non-proliferation and disarmament achievements.
. . . (T)he following broad issues should be taken
into account when formulating the set of
"Principles for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and
Disarmament":
- a. Restatement
of the commitment to non-proliferation of
nuclear weapons;
- b.
Strengthening and full adherence to IAEA
safeguard agreements;
c. Access to
nuclear material and technology for peaceful
purposes,
- d. Progress
made in the Cut-Off Convention negotiations;
- e. Progress
made in the reduction of nuclear arsenals;
- f. Progress
made in the negotiations for the
establishment of a Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty;
- g. Commitment
to the establishment of regional nuclear
weapon free zones;
- h. Enforcing
binding security assurances for non-nuclear
weapon states." p. 1-2
-
"... the
establishment of a Committee (which would be
tasked with (i) studying the Review Process,
and (ii) making concrete recommendations on
how to improve and strengthen the Review
Conference mechanism. The report on the
Committee's recommendation should then be
submitted for the consideration of all States
Parties - possibly at an additional
Preparatory Committee session in the run-up
to the next Review Conference. That PrepCom
should then in turn be tasked with the
responsibility of including these
improvements into the agenda and programme of
work of the next Review Conference.... - That the basic
structure of the Review Conferences should be
retained. Provision should, however, be made
for the debate and substantive consideration
of specific issues by establishing
sub-committees should not be tasked with the
consideration of specific Treaty Articles,
but should rather study a specific issue or
issues which fall within the ambit of those
Treaty provisions which are being considered
by the parent Main Committee. . . .The
mechanism of the substantive debates at the
PrepComs can be used to identify the issues
which could be referred to such
sub-committees.
- The
establishment of an open-ended Committee
which would meet at fixed intervals during
the period between Review Conferences, and
which would consider specific proliferation
regime in all its aspects. The reports of
such an open-ended Committee can form the
basis for debates in a specified number of
sessions of the Plenary Meetings of future
Review Conferences." p. 2-3
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Ireland, Mr. Dick Spring,
T.D.,Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, 18 April
1995
"We believe
that, side by side with the decision to extend
indefinitely the Treaty, we must also ensure that the
provisions under Article VIII of the Treaty for
regular reviews are implemented in a manner that
brings real results. My delegation will be working to
achieve that objective." p 5
Canada, Andre Ouellet,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 1995
"Canada
advocates permanence with accountability.
We believe that the
five-yearly review conferences should be enhanced.
States party must be held to account for their
custody of the Treaty's values and for the fulfilment
of all its provisions. At this conference the
Canadian delegation looks forward to discussions
aimed at enhancing review processes. Means must be
identified to engage the political levels in review
conferences, not only to facilitate the oversight of
the Treaty's implementation, but also to reinforce
the encouragement of measures aimed at the
progressive fulfillment of all the Treaty's
goals." p.3
Mexico, Jose Angel Gurria,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the Plenary, 18 April
1995
"Approval of a
reinforced review mechanism guaranteeing a periodic
evaluation of the Treaty." p.5
Bangladesh, Ambassador
Reaz Rahman, 21 April 1995
"A cardinal
factor will remain to enhance and reinforce the
review process." p.1
Conference Working
Group on Proposals to Strengthen the NPT Regime
South Africa, Mr TF
Wheeler, to Main Committee I, 20 April 1995
"A possible
method of work which could be considered by the
Conference is the establishment of an open-ended
Working Group . . .which would not focus on the
Treaty provisions as do the others, but which would
consider more general proposals to strengthen the
Treaty. Whilst listening to the debate in the General
Assembly Hall it appeared to us that many delegations
including the distinguished speakers from Mexico and
Sri Lanka, were also making proposals which could
receive detailed consideration. We believe that it is
essential for us to establish a mechanism here at the
Conference where these ideas can be discussed."
p.4
Top of Page
Government
Proposals on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
was produced during the 1995 NPT Review and Extension
Conference and distributed widely to delegates, media,
and observers. It serves as a useful reference and
reminder for some of the proposals made at the
Conference, many of which are still appropriate and could
be pursued.
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