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/4
30 April 1998

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH AND FRENCH

Second session
Geneva, 27 April - 8 May 1998

DRAFT STATEMENT ON CURRENT START STANDSTILL

Submitted by Canada

The States Parties present at the 1998 NPT PrepCom consider that the START process, a key element in systematic and progressive efforts toward the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons, needs to be reinvigorated. While actual reductions in deployed nuclear weapons are taking place through the implementation of START I, START his in limbo pending its ratification by the Russian Federation and the ratification by the Russian Federation and the United States of America of several associated agreements.

These States Parties recall the importance of States Parties' undertakings in the NPT and the 1995 decision on Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. These States Parties also recall recent resolutions by the UN General Assembly on this issue, including resolution 52/38 M, "Bilateral nuclear arms negotiations and nuclear disarmament" which, in particular, expressed satisfaction with the advice and consent of the Senate or tile United States of America to START II, expressed hope that it will soon be possible for the Russian Federation to take corresponding steps to ratify the Treaty, and urged "the Russian Federation and the United States of America to commence negotiations on a START III agreement immediately after START II enters into force. These States Parties wish to emphatically confirm the importance of the START process to the continuing reduction or nuclear weapons and thereby to the strengthening or international security and stability.

These States Parties call on the Russian Federation to ratify START II as quickly as possible and call on both the Russian Federation and the United States of America to approve formally all agreements and undertakings associated with the ratification and implementation of START II.

These States Parties reiterate the importance of the Joint Statement on Parameters on Future Reductions in Nuclear Forces. signed by Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin on March 21, 1997, setting out parameters for a START Ill negotiation. That Statement demonstrates the continuing commitment by those two states to the process of nuclear weapons reductions through START II, START III and beyond. These States Parties urge the early implementation of that Statement at the lowest possible levels.

These States Parties also express the view that the process of negotiated nuclear weapons reductions and transparency measures should be expanded at an appropriate point in the near future to include all five nuclear-weapon States.