Nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East – First Cttee debate – Verbatim record (excerpts)

Official Records

General Assembly

Fifty-first session

First Committee

18th meeting

Monday, 11 November 1996, 10 a.m.

New York

President:  Mr. Sychou ……………………. (Belarus)

The meeting was called to order at 10.10 a.m.

Agenda items 60, 61 and 63-81 (continued)

Action on draft resolutions submitted on all disarmament and international security agenda items

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Mr. Karem (Egypt):…

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Once again, we congratulate ourselves on this historic event and hope that such genuine regional successes will induce other regions to work sincerely towards the same end. In this vein, we recall that the Cairo Declaration adopted on 11 April 1996 emphasized that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially in regions of tension, such as the Middle East, enhance global and regional peace and security. Our strong determination to strive towards the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East has been strengthened even further by this important achievement in the African continent. A nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East would not only provide an important confidence-building measure among States in the region but would enhance the security of Africa and the viability of the African nuclear-weapon-free zone.

Therefore, my delegation, in an attempt to maintain consensus on the draft resolution on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, has submitted further revisions to that draft resolution, which will be reissued as document A/C.1/51/L.28/Rev.2. We continue to hope that the adoption of this draft resolution by consensus will help in the establishment of such a zone in the near future.

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The meeting rose at 1 p.m.