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

Official Records

General Assembly

Fifty-sixth session

First Committee

7th meeting

Thursday, 11 October 2001, 3 p.m.

New York

Chairman:  Mr. Erdös………………………………………………………………………..(Hungary)

Agenda items 64 to 84 (continued)

General debate on all disarmament and international security items

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Mr. Al-Nasser (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): At the

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Qatar continues to urge the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East. That hope remains far from being fulfilled, since just one State — Israel — will not respect this principle. To date is has refused to accede to and sign the relevant treaties and conventions, in particular the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We appeal to the international community to exert pressure on Israel so that it will place its nuclear installations under the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency. All the States of the region would be negatively affected by the consequences of a nuclear explosion. The media has made us aware of the dangers of nuclear radiation leaks. We therefore urge the international community to consider this problem and to contribute to a settlement to ensure stability and balance in this region, which could explode at any moment.

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The meeting rose at 4.45 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-178. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.