Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Review
Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
NPT/CONF.2000/PC.II/12
4 May 1998
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Second session
Geneva, 27 April - 8 May 1998
CLUSTER I ISSUES:
ARTICLE VI OF THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
Working paper submitted by South Africa
South Africa submits the following decision and recommendations on Article VI issues to be considered and adopted at the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the year 2000 NPT Review Conference:
1. DECISION TO BE ADOPTED BY THE SECOND SESSION OF THE 2000 NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.
This Preparatory Committee agrees that at its third session, specific time will be made available for Article VI (nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament) issues, so as to provide a structured opportunity to deliberate on the practical steps for systematic and progressive efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons which were envisaged in the Principles and Objectives decision adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. The purpose of these deliberations would be to provide:
- The nuclear weapon States with an opportunity to brief the Treaty parties on the steps which they have undertaken and are undertaking in this regard;
- The non-nuclear weapon States with an opportunity to engage the nuclear weapon States as to "the practical steps and systematic and progressive efforts" which have been identified and which could be undertaken unilaterally, as a result of bilateral or plurilateral negotiations, or multilaterally;
- The opportunity for the international community, as represented by the NPT parties, to jointly support or assist initiatives undertaken or agreements achieved; and
- Thereby to allow each of the NPT States Parties, non-nuclear-weapon States and nuclear-weapon States alike, to fulfil Article VI's provision that its obligations apply to each of the parties to the Treaty.
This practice would also allow the Preparatory Committee to begin identifying the measures to achieve what is termed complete and general disarmament under strict and effective international control.
2. RECOMMENDATION FOR A DECISION TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT THE 2000 NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE AND AT FUTURE REVIEW CONFERENCES.
It is recommended that the 2000 NPT Review Conference should decide to establish a subsidiary body to Committee I at the 2000 NPT Review Conference for Article VI (nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament) issues, so as to provide a structured opportunity to deliberate on the practical steps for systematic and progressive efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons which were envisaged in the Principles and Objectives decision adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. Future Review Conferences should decide to establish the same subsidiary body pending the full realisation of Article VI of the Treaty. The purpose of these deliberations would be to provide:
- The nuclear weapon States with an opportunity to brief the Treaty panics on the steps which they have undertaken and are undertaking in this regard;
- The non-nuclear weapon States with an opportunity to engage the nuclear weapon States as to "the practical steps and systematic and progressive efforts" which have been identified and which could be undertaken unilaterally, as a result of bilateral or plurilateral negotiations, or multilaterally;
- The opportunity for the international community, as represented by the NPT panics, to jointly support or assist initiatives undertaken or agreements achieved; and
- Thereby to allow each of the NPT States Parties, non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon states alike, to fulfil Article VI's provision that its obligations apply to each of the parties to the Treaty.
This practice would allow the Review Conference to continue work in identifying the measures to achieve what is termed general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.
3. RECOMMENDATION FOR A DECISION TO BE ADOPTED AT THE 2000 NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE FOR IMPLEMENTATION AT FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE NPT PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.
It is recommended that the 2000 NPT Review Conference should decide that Preparatory Committees for fliture Review Conferences shall make specific time available for Article VI (nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament) issues pending the hill realisation of Article VI, so as to provide a structured opportunity to deliberate on the practical steps for systematic and progressive efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons which were envisaged in the Principles and Objectives decision adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. The purpose of these deliberations would be to provide:
- The nuclear weapon States with an opportunity to brief the Treaty parties on the steps which they have undertaken and are undertaking in this regard;
- The non-nuclear weapon States with an opportunity to engage the nuclear weapon States as to "the practical steps and systematic and progressive efforts" which have been identified and which could be undertaken unilaterally, as a result of bilateral or plurilateral negotiations, or multilaterally;
- The opportunity for the international community, as represented by the NPT parties, to jointly support or assist initiatives undertaken or agreements achieved; and
- Thereby to allow each of the NPT States Parties, non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon states alike, to fulfil Article VI's provision that its obligations apply to each of the parties to the Treaty.
This practice would also allow the Preparatory Committee to begin identifying measures to achieve what is termed complete and general disarmament under strict and effective international control.