Nuclear-weapon-free-zone in the Middle East – First Cttee report

The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East

Report of the First Committee

Rapporteur : Mr. Sylvester Ekundayo Rowe (Sierra Leone)

 I.  Introduction 

1.   The item entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East” was included in the provisional agenda of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly in accordance with Assembly resolution 55/36 of 20 November 2000.

2.   At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 19 September 2001, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include the item in its agenda and to allocate it to the First Committee.

3.   At its 2nd meeting, on 4 October 2001, the First Committee decided to hold a general debate on all disarmament and international security items allocated to it, namely, items 64 to 84, which was held at the 3rd to 11th meetings, from 8 to 12 and from 15 to 17 October (see A/C.1/56/PV.3-11). Thematic discussions on the items were held, and draft resolutions were introduced and considered, at the 12th to 17th meetings, from 22 to 24 and on 26, 29 and 30 October (see A/C.1/56/PV.12-17). Action on all draft resolutions was taken at the 18th to 24th meetings, on 30 and 31 October and on 2, 5 and 6 November (see A/C.1/56/PV.18-24).

4.   For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (A/56/425).

 II.  Consideration of draft resolution A/C.1/56/L.25

5.   At the 13th meeting, on 23 October, the representative of Egypt, on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the League of Arab States, introduced a draft resolution entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East” (A/C.1/56/L.25).

6.   At its 21st meeting, on 2 November, the Committee adopted the sixth preambular paragraph of draft resolution A/C.1/56/L.25 by a recorded vote of 139 to 2, with 6 abstentions. The voting was as follows: 1/

In favour :

Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia.

Against :

India, Israel.

Abstaining:

Bhutan, Cuba, Ethiopia, Marshall Islands, Pakistan, Rwanda.

7.   At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.1/56/L.25, as a whole, by a recorded vote of 139 to 3, with 7 abstentions (see para. 8). The voting was as follows: 2/

In favour:

Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sing apore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia.

Against :

Israel, Micronesia (Federated States of), United States of America.

Abstaining:

Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, India, Marshall Islands, Rwanda.

 III.   Recommendation of the First Committee

8.   The First Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:

The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East

  The General Assembly,

 Bearing in mind its relevant resolutions,

 Taking note of the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the latest of which is resolution GC(45)RES/18, adopted on 21 September 2001,

 Cognizant that the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region of the Middle East would pose a serious threat to international peace and security,

 Mindful of the immediate need for placing all nuclear facilities in the region of the Middle East under full-scope safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency,

 Recalling the decision on principles and objectives for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 11 May 1995, 3/ in which the Conference urged universal adherence to the Treaty as an urgent priority and called upon all States not yet parties to the Treaty to accede to it at the earliest date, particularly those States that operate unsafeguarded nuclear facilities,

 Recognizing with satisfaction that, in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 4/ the Conference undertook to make determined efforts towards the achievement of the goal of universality of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 5/ and called upon those remaining States not parties to the Treaty to accede to it, thereby accepting an international legally binding commitment not to acquire nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices and to accept International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on all their nuclear activities, and underlined the necessity of universal adherence to the Treaty and of strict compliance by all parties with their obligations under the Treaty,

  Recalling the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 11 May 1995, 6/ in which the Conference noted with concern the continued existence in the Middle East of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, reaffirmed the importance of the early realization of universal adherence to the Treaty and called upon all States in the Middle East that had not yet done so, without exception, to accede to the Treaty as soon as possible and to place all their nuclear facilities under full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards,

 Noting that Israel remains the only State in the Middle East that has not yet become party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

  Concerned about the threats posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the security and stability of the Middle East region,

 Stressing the importance of taking confidence-building measures, in particular the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, in order to enhance peace and security in the region and to consolidate the global non-proliferation regime,

 Emphasizing the need for all parties directly concerned to consider seriously taking the practical and urgent steps required for the implementation of the proposal to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and, as a means of promoting this objective, inviting the countries concerned to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and, pending the establishment of the zone, to agree to place all their nuclear activities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards,

 Noting that one hundred and sixty-one States have signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, 7/ including a number of States in the region,

 1.   Welcomes the conclusions on the Middle East of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; 8/

 2.  Reaffirms the importance of Israel’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons 5/ and placement of all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, in realizing the goal of universal adherence to the Treaty in the Middle East;

 3.  Calls upon that State to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons without further delay and not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, and to renounce possession of nuclear weapons, and to place all its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards as an important confidence-building measure among all States of the region and as a step towards enhancing peace and security;

 4.  Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution;

 5.   Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session the item entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East”.

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Notes

1/ The delegation of Ethiopia subsequently indicated that it had intended to vote in favour.

2/ The delegation of Mauritania subsequently indicated that, had it been present, it would have voted in favour of the sixth preambular paragraph and the draft resolution as a whole.

3/ See 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Part I (NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I) and Corr.2), annex, decision 2.

4/ 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vols. I-III (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I-IV)).

5/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485.

6/  See 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Part I (NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I) and Corr.2), annex.

7/ See resolution 50/245.

8/ See 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II)), part I, art. VII, para. 16.