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

Official Records

General Assembly

Fifty-sixth session

First Committee

5th meeting

Wednesday, 10 October 2001, 3 p.m.

New York

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

The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m.

Agenda items 64 to 84 (continued)

General debate on all disarmament and international security items

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Mr. Khairat (Egypt) (spoke in Arabic): …

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The Middle East region continues to witness a clear imbalance. All States of the region have adhered to the NPT. They fulfil the commitments and obligations arising from this adherence. Nevertheless, Israel has chosen not to respond to the efforts under way in the region. It continues to cling to the nuclear option on the basis of outdated doctrines of deterrence. The international community remains silent. It has not insisted on the implementation of the numerous international resolutions that call on Israel to accede to the NPT and to place all its nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The most recent of these resolutions was contained in the Final Document of the Sixth Review Conference of the NPT.

Egypt will closely follow the implementation of the results of the Sixth Review Conference, which reaffirmed the importance of Israel’s acceding to the NPT and placing all its nuclear facilities under the comprehensive safeguards system of the IAEA. Egypt calls for a follow-up of the implementation of the results of that Conference, in accordance with the agreement reached in its Final Document. All States party to the Treaty, particularly the nuclear-weapon States and other interested States, should submit their reports to the Preparatory Committee in its meeting to be held next April. These reports must contain the steps that States have taken towards the achievement of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and the realization of the goals and objectives of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East.

We reiterate Egypt’s firm commitment to achieving the goals and principles of non-proliferation in the Middle East and in the world as a whole. We are keenly aware that facing the menace of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East is an urgent task that brooks no delay. It was on the basis of this profound belief that in April 1990 President Hosni Mubarak launched his initiative on turning the Middle East into a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. This was a natural extension of Egypt’s call for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

In June 1998, President Mubarak launched his more comprehensive initiative on the holding of an international conference on freeing the world of all weapons of mass destruction, foremost of these being nuclear weapons. This initiative is in consonance with the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for the convening of a major international conference to consider ways to eliminate nuclear risks.

There have been many initiatives and numerous international resolutions calling for rendering the Middle East into a nuclear-weapon-free zone and they all enjoy international support. Nevertheless, Israel has not yet responded to the demand of the international community that it adhere to the NPT and place all its nuclear facilities under the IAEA comprehensive safeguards system. Nor has it responded to regional or international suggestions and endeavours to begin serious negotiations on the procedural and substantive aspects of ridding the Middle East of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. This makes us all the more determined to make serious and effective progress to shield the Middle East region from the horror of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

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The meeting rose at 6 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.