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

Official Records

General Assembly

Fifty-first session

First Committee

22nd meeting

Thursday, 14 November 1996, 10 a.m.

New York

Chairman:  Mr. Alyaksandr Sychou ……………………. (Belarus)

The meeting was called to order at l0.15 a.m.

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

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

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The Chairman: The Committee will now take a decision on draft resolutions contained in cluster 5 on confidence-building measures, including transparency in armaments: A/C.1/51/L.18 and A/C.1/51/L.47.

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The Chairman: …

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I now call on those delegations wishing to explain their vote or position before the voting.

Mr. Al-Hariri (Syrian Arab Republic) (interpretation from Arabic): My delegation would like to explain its position regarding draft resolution A/C.1/51/L.18, entitled “Transparency in armaments”. My delegation fully supports the global trend towards building a world community free from the use or threat of use of force, and in which the principles of peace and justice prevail. While we affirm our intention to participate in any international endeavour that pursues negotiations in good faith to achieve that goal, we would like to point out that the draft resolution entitled “Transparency in armaments” does not take into account the special situation in the Middle East, where the Arab-Israeli conflict persists because of Israel's continued occupation of Arab territory and its refusal to implement relevant Security Council resolutions. The conflict continues also because Israel possesses the most lethal weapons of mass destruction and can manufacture and stockpile advanced and sophisticated weaponry locally. Therefore, transparency in the area of Israeli armaments is just the tip of the iceberg. Accordingly, my delegation will abstain in the voting on this draft resolution.

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The meeting rose at 1 p.m.

This record contains the original texts of speeches delivered in English and interpretations of speeches delivered in the other languages.  Corrections should be submitted to original speeches only.  They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and be sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, Room C-178.  Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.