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

Official Records

General Assembly

Fifty-first session

First Committee

11th meeting

Tuesday, 22 October 1996, 10 a.m.

New York

President:  Mr. Sychou …………………….(Belarus)

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

Agenda items 60 to 81 (continued)

General debate on all disarmament and international security items

/…

Mr. Hasan (Bahrain) (interpretation from Arabic): …

/…

Israel’s refusal to accede to the NPT and to subject its nuclear installations to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards regime has destabilized and threatened regional security in the Middle East and diminished the international character of the Treaty. It is in fact a serious impediment to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon- free zone in the region. Israel’s persistence in pursuing its nuclear programme and in developing its delivery systems defies the will of the international community on this matter, despite repeated calls by the General Assembly through a series of resolutions since 1974 — the most recent of which was resolution 50/66 — despite Security Council resolution 487 (1981) and despite decisions by other international conferences — most recently the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the NPT. That resolution noted with concern the existence in the Middle East of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, and called on all States of the region that have not yet done so to accede to the Treaty as soon as possible and to place their nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. This is a prerequisite for serious efforts to make the Middle East region a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Ultimately, such a zone would be the best guarantee for establishing a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, free of the nuclear weapons that are a source of terror and intimidation to all States in the region.

/…

Mr. Koirala (Nepal): …

/…

… We earnestly hope that our efforts to establish such nuclear-weapon-free zones in our region of South Asia and in the Middle East will one day be blessed with success. The establishment and consolidation of nuclear-weapon-free zones provide a strong impetus to the international community to further devote itself to the goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. In this regard, we welcome the support of the nuclear-weapon States for these important regional confidence-building efforts.

/…

The meeting rose at 12.45 p.m.