OF PARTIES TO TREATY ON NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

The Preparatory Committee for the 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) held its first session at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 8 to 19 April 2002. The Chairman for the first session was Henrik Salander of Sweden.

Of the 187 States parties to the Treaty, 137 participated in the work of the first session of the Preparatory Committee. The open meetings of the session were also attended by Cuba as an observer State; representatives from eight specialized agencies and regional intergovernmental organizations (Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, International Committee of the Red Cross, European Commission, Organization of African Unity, Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, Pacific Islands Forum, League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference), and by representatives of 62 non-governmental organizations (NGOs). One meeting of the session was devoted to 14 presentations by NGOs.

The purpose of the Preparatory Committee is to prepare for the Review Conference in terms of assessing the implementation of the Treaty, facilitating discussion between States prior to the start of the Conference, and addressing procedural issues related to the organization of the 2005 Review Conference and the remaining sessions of the Preparatory Committee.

Following a general exchange of views on all aspects of the Treaty, the majority of the Committee meetings were dedicated to substantive discussion on the following issues: nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, nuclear-weapon-free zones, safeguards, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Time was also allocated for consideration of specific issues, such as nuclear disarmament, regional issues, including the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Review Conference and reaffirmed in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference, and the safety and security of peaceful nuclear programmes.

The second session of the Preparatory Committee is scheduled to take place in Geneva from 28 April to 9 May. The session will be presided over by a representative of the Group of Eastern European States.

* *** *

Disarmament