The 2000 NPT Review Conference (RevCon)
14 April - 19 May 2000, New York

   
NPT/CONF.2000/20 

Letter dated 28 April 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Bahrain to the United Nations addressed to the President of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

28 April 2000

 
In my capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of April 2000 and on behalf of States members of the League of Arab States, I have the honour to transmit to the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non­Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons a working paper on the implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted in 1995. I would be grateful if this working paper could be issued as a document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
 

(Signed) Jassim Mohammed Buallay 

***** 

Annex to the letter dated 28 April 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Bahrain to the United Nations addressed to the President of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons 

Working paper presented by the State of Bahrain on behalf of the States members of the League of Arab States to the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, on the implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted in 1995 

The 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons adopted a package consisting of three decisions and one resolution on the Middle East. 

The 1995 resolution on the Middle East, sponsored by the three depositary States, and adopted by consensus, was the only resolution concerning a specific geographical region. This adoption is a clear expression by the States parties of their concern about the seriousness of the situation in the Middle East resulting from the existence of unsafeguarded Israeli nuclear facilities in the region thereby endangering regional and international peace and security. 

Since the 1995 Conference developments have taken place and should be taken into consideration during the 2000 Review Conference, namely: 

1. All States of the region have become parties to the Treaty, with the exception of Israel. 

2. Israel remains the only State in the region that has not yet acceded to the Treaty and continues to refuse to place all its nuclear facilities under full-scope IAEA safeguards. 

3. The adoption by consensus, for the twentieth consecutive year, of a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly calling for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East. 

4. The overwhelming support for the resolution adopted by the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session concerning the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (resolution 54/51) calling upon Israel, the only State in the Middle East that is not yet party to the Treaty and has not declared its intention to do so, to accede to the Treaty without further delay, and not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons and to renounce possession of nuclear weapons, and to place all its nuclear facilities under full-scope IAEA safeguards. This support reflects the increased concern of the international community resulting from the fact that Israel continues to defy repeated calls to accede to the Treaty. 

5. The unanimous adoption by the United Nations Disarmament Commission at its 1999 substantive session of guidelines on the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States of the region concerned, where the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East as well as the development of zones free from all weapons of mass destruction was encouraged. 

The accession by the States of the region to the Treaty has not, unfortunately, provided them with the necessary security from the threat of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Furthermore, the continued defiance by Israel of those repeated calls of the international community, most notably its flagrant defiance of Security Council resolution 487 (1981), by refusing to accede to the Treaty and to place all its nuclear facilities under IAEA full-scope safeguards remains a source for serious concern. It must be recalled that the Arab delegations at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference clearly voiced this concern at the time of the adoption of the 1995 package outcome as a whole. 

The 2000 Review Conference, pursuant to paragraph 7 of decision I of 1995 on the strengthening of the review process, should look forward as well as backward and evaluate the results of the period under review, including the implementation of undertakings of the States parties under the Treaty and identify the areas in which, and the means through which further progress should be sought in the future. 

All States parties to the Treaty, and in particular, the nuclear-weapon States, have to shoulder their responsibilities, extend their cooperation and, in particular, exert their utmost efforts to achieve the full implementation of the said resolution, particularly, the three depositary States. The role of the three depositary States in fulfilling their primary responsibilities as sponsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East is crucial in implementing faithfully and achieving the goals of the resolution on the Middle East. They are requested to indicate at the 2000 Review Conference the measures they have taken to ensure the full implementation of the resolution and the realization of its objectives. 

In this regard the Arab States welcome the decision taken by the 2000 Review Conference to establish a subsidiary body to its Main Committee II to consider regional issues, including with respect to the Middle East and implementation of the 1995 Middle East resolution and recommend proposals on the implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference. 

It is, therefore, imperative that the 2000 Review Conference should address this important issue and with a view to redressing the existing imbalance prevailing in the Middle East region: 

- This Conference should include in its final outcome an unequivocal call demanding that Israel accede to the Treaty without further delay and place all its nuclear facilities and materials under full-scope IAEA safeguards. 

- The final outcome of the Review Conference should also contain a clear commitment by all the nuclear-weapon States, in conformity with their obligations under article I of the Treaty, not to transfer nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or control over such weapons or explosive devices directly or indirectly to Israel and, further, an undertaking not in any way to assist Israel, in a manner that would contribute to its ability to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, or control over such weapons or explosive devices under any circumstance whatsoever.

- Furthermore, all States parties to the Treaty, in conformity with the seventh preambular paragraph and article 4 of the Treaty, should declare their commitment not to transfer nuclear-related equipment, information, material and facilities, resources or devices, or assistance in the nuclear field to Israel, as long as it remains a non-party to the Treaty and has not placed all its nuclear facilities under full-scope IAEA safeguards. 

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