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

Official Records

General Assembly

Sixtieth session 

First Committee

5th meeting

Wednesday, 5 October 2005, 10 a.m. 

New York

  The meeting was called to order at 10.05 a.m.

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General debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items 

  Mr. Own (Libya) (spoke in Arabic ): …

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  International peace and security can be made a reality not by acquiring weapons of mass destruction or by threatening to use them, but rather by respecting the principles of dialogue, concord and cooperation among all peoples, strengthening development and fighting poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and other chronic diseases. My country proved that when, of its own accord, it took the initiative of declaring on 19 December 2003 that it would eliminate all equipment and programmes that might lead to the production of weapons internationally declared to be unlawful. This repeatedly drew a favourable appreciative reaction from all the members of the international community. This initiative reflects our conviction that the arms race harms our national and regional security and flies in the face of our commitment to ensuring that peace and security reign throughout the world.

  Through that initiative, we invite all countries without exception, beginning with those in the Middle East, to embark on the same path. Our initiative reminds nuclear Powers and countries that possess other weapons of mass destruction of their responsibility to act to buttress the principle of the non-use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

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  My country attaches utmost importance to the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones in all parts of the world. These are a positive force for strengthening international peace and security. In spite of the international community’s efforts to make the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, Israel still possesses military nuclear facilities and hundreds of nuclear warheads that pose a grave threat to peace and security, not only in the Middle East but also in Europe, West Asia and Africa. This constitutes an absolute challenge to and total disregard of the international community and its will, as repeatedly expressed through resolutions and decisions adopted in the United Nations and other relevant regional and international organizations. More than ever before, the international community, and in particular the nuclear-weapon States, must shoulder their full responsibility and put pressure on Israel, using all means at their disposal to oblige it to sign the NPT and become a party to other relevant treaties, as well as to commit itself unreservedly to the comprehensive safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This has to happen if the international community sincerely wishes to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including nuclear terrorism.

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 Mr. Masood Khan (Pakistan):…

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  Resolute efforts should be made to defuse regional tensions and resolve conflicts in the Middle East. Pakistan supports the fulfilment of international obligations by all States and the objective of creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

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 The meeting rose at 12.30 p.m.

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.