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

FIRST COMMITTEE

7th meeting

held on

Thursday, 21 October 1993

at 3 p.m.

New York

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 7th MEETING

Chairman:   Mr. von WAGNER  (Germany)

CONTENTS

GENERAL DEBATE ON ALL DISARMAMENT AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AGENDA ITEMS (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3.15 p.m.

GENERAL DEBATE ON ALL DISARMAMENT AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AGENDA ITEMS (continued)

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78. Mr. ABULHASAN (Kuwait) …

81. Kuwait, well aware of the danger of acquiring weapons of mass destruction, supported all international efforts to limit their proliferation and destroy them.  His country's signing of the Chemical Weapons Convention bore witness to that fact.  His country was a party to the NPT, and supported all efforts aimed at transforming the Middle East into a region that was free of all forms of weapons of mass destruction.  His delegation called on all States of the Middle East, including Israel, to adhere to the NPT and to open their nuclear facilities to international inspection.  Similar principles for new relations in the Middle East had been set forth in the study on effective and verifiable measures which would facilitate the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone (A/45/435, annex) prepared by the Secretary-General in accordance with General Assembly resolution 43/65 of 7 December 1990.  Progress towards establishing a nuclear-free zone required a major contribution on the part of the States of other regions, primarily the nuclear Powers.

82. The States of the Middle East also needed to adopt measures which provided for their accession to the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.  The fact that Iraq was not yet a Party to that Convention was a source of concern.  It was a comfort to note that the Special Commission established under Security Council resolution 687 (1991) on 3 April 1991 had been entrusted in particular with the elimination of such weapons.  The regime in Iraq, by virtue of its actions and its very essence, continued to threaten peace and security in the region.  It continued to ignore the unanimous call that it respect all resolutions on the question of the aggression against Kuwait.  However, his country was convinced of the Security Council's capacity to induce Iraq to fulfil its obligations under the Security Council resolutions and the requirements of international law.

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The meeting rose at 5.30 p.m.

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